


Welcome to Pettyville

by alrightginger, womeninthesequel



Series: Ginger in the Sequel [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, F/M, First Dates, Friendship, Gen, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Party, Secret Identity, Study Date, Texting, love square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26526838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alrightginger/pseuds/alrightginger, https://archiveofourown.org/users/womeninthesequel/pseuds/womeninthesequel
Summary: When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?
Relationships: Benjy Fenwick/Mary Macdonald, James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Mary Macdonald & Lily Evans Potter, Petunia Evans Dursley/Vernon Dursley, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Ginger in the Sequel [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712458
Comments: 796
Kudos: 671
Collections: James and Lily Fanfics, love square / secret identities / texting identities





	1. Hey, I Just Met You

**Author's Note:**

> The newest production from Ginger in the Sequel!
> 
> Updates every Friday!

_Missed call from New Number_

_Missed call from New Number_

_Missed call from New Number_

_New Number: guess I have to do this here since you apparently aren’t answering your phone_

_New Number: WTF was that????_

_New Number: I already know that you’re going to say I’m overreacting_

_New Number: but I don’t even care rn_

_New Number: you do this and then ignore me?_

_New Number: I can’t believe this_

_New Number: actually I can_

_New Number: you didn’t bother sticking around but jsyk EVERYTHING is gone_

_New Number: I don’t know what you’re telling yourself I did to deserve this but_

_New Number: whatever_

_New Number: at first I wanted you to say sorry but I don’t even know if I care anymore_

**Me: Ummm…**

**Me: I’m really sorry about whoever wronged you at such an ungodly hour when they should be sleeping**

**Me: But I’m pretty sure you have the wrong number**

_New Number: ???_

**Me: At least I’m assuming so**

**Me: I don’t recall any acts of wrongdoing on my part in the past 24 hours**

_New Number: is this some kind of prank?_

_New Number: you've had the same number since you were 15_

**Me: 14 actually**

**Me: But that is beside the point**

**Me: I solemnly swear to you, wrong number, that this is not a prank of mine**

**Me: You have honestly texted the wrong number and not whoever you’re looking for**

_New Number: OH MY GOD_

_New Number: just checked the number_

_New Number: I am so sorry_

_New Number: I was angry (obviously) and must have typed it wrong_

_New Number: I'm so sorry_

_New Number: wait did I wake you??_

_New Number: omg nvm_

_New Number: I'm sorry again_

_New Number: I'll leave you alone_

_New Number: have a good night!_

**Me: No, no, no**

**Me: Don’t go now**

**Me: I’m invested now**

**Me: I need to know who this person is and what exactly they did to you to piss you off so bad**

_New Number: don't want to let you down, but it's probably not that interesting_

_New Number: just my sister_

**Me: No offense, wrong number, but with as much fire you just spat at me through text???**

**Me: I doubt it’s not interesting**

_New Number: okay_

_New Number: do you want the short story or the long one?_

**Me: Loooong**

**Me: I’m awake and I have my popcorn**

**Me: Take me to pettyville**

_New Number: omg pettyville_

_New Number: maybe that's where she should move with her fiance_

_New Number: but I'll back up_

**Me: Excellent**

**Me: I love a good backstory**

_New Number: I don't exactly get along with my sister_

_New Number: but she came to visit today_

_New Number: and things were kind of going okay? sort of??_

_New Number: but then she got mad (like she always does) and “dropped” my phone in my water glass_

**Me: Wtf??**

**__**

_New Number: thank you!!!_

_New Number: she said it was an accident but how is that an accident???_

**Me: Yeah, no**

**Me: That’s definitely not an accident**

**Me: An accident is when you misjudge your landing whilst parkouring through the kitchen and your mother has to take you to the ER**

_New Number: okay that sounds like a story_

**Me: Not dunking your sister’s phone in a glass of water**

_New Number: ty ty_

_New Number: anyway a big fight and nearly getting kicked out of the restaurant later_

_New Number: she finally leaves and I get a chance to look at the damage_

_New Number: nothing worked so I had to go to the store to get a new one and couldn't transfer anything and I don't even know how to use this one I got_

**Me: Omg I would be furious**

**Me: Figuring out new phones is the worst**

_New Number: right??_

_New Number: so I made myself a strong margarita and tried to figure it out_

_New Number: then I somehow convinced myself to let her have it but needed some courage sooooo_

_New Number: I drank a second margarita_

_New Number: and that's how you had me blowing up your phone at midnight_

**Me: My gosh**

_New Number: sorry about that btw_

_New Number: and this whole nonsense_

_New Number: is that interesting enough?_

**Me: Riveting**

**Me: You know what though, wrong number?**

**Me: I’m beginning to think fate has brought us together**

_New Number: fate? or my sister?_

**Me: Why not both?**

**Me: It sounds like what you need is a prankster**

**Me: And I just so happen to be in such a line of work**

_New Number: oh really?_

_New Number: go on_

**Me: Ok ok**

**Me: So while I agree that your sister deserves your angry texts, she’s probably expecting that**

**Me: It’s what she wants...right?**

_New Number: tbh waking her up was also a goal_

_New Number: but you have a point_

_New Number: you think i should ghost her?_

**Me: No, I think you should fight fire with fire**

**Me: Or more specifically**

**Me: Jello**

_New Number: jello?_

_New Number: wait_

_New Number: you think I should put her phone in jello?_

_New Number: like in the office?_

**Me: That’s exactly what I’m suggesting**

**Me: She put your phone in water**

**Me: Steal her phone and put it in jello**

**Me: Also the office is a good show, don’t laugh**

_New Number: parks and rec is better_

**Me: I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that for the sake of our new friendship, wrong number**

_New Number: okay let me think_

_New Number: first I have to convince her to come back, then I have to get the phone away from her somehow_

_New Number: but if I back up her stuff first..._

**Me: I can practically see the wheels turning in your head**

**Me: Can you invite her over for a breakfast truce? Then snatch it while she isn’t looking?**

_New Number: yes!_

_New Number: you’re a genius_

_New Number: I’ll invite her to brunch_

_New Number: she LOVES brunch_

_New Number: then I attack???_

**Me: THEN YOU ATTACK**

_New Number: lol okay_

_New Number: ugh I better go to bed_

_New Number: have to wake up early to get to the store and buy some jello 0:)_

_New Number: … is it weird if I save your number?_

_New Number: I only have like 3 contacts rn_

**Me: Not at all**

**Me: I’m an accomplice to your scheme now**

**Me: I expect a full report tomorrow**

_New Number: I’ll keep you posted_

_New Number: might take a few days to convince her but I’m going to do it_

_New Number: hold me to that_

**Me: Will do**

**Me: Talk to you later then?**

_New Number: number saved (:_

\--

She had been right to set a few alarms.

Staying up later than usual was probably a mistake. It was already going to make waking up on time more difficult. 

To add to that, Lily could be a pretty deep sleeper. Since freshman year, when she shared a small room and bunk bed with her best friend, she had gotten used to the particular jingle of her alarm. By the third week of class, the alarm from the bed below hers didn’t make her stir. While other people - most people, admittedly - would have heard and woken to another alarm, she wouldn’t wake unless it was the right tune for her. 

So having a different alarm from a new phone this morning was a minor disaster. 

“Get. Up. Evans.” 

Each word was punctuated with a perfectly targeted pillow hit. 

Lily groaned and tried to bat away the offending pillow. “What?”

“Get _up.”_

Rolling over, Lily saw her roommate with a pillow and early morning death glare. Mary managed to look a little threatening, even with her tousled bed head and faded Class Of t-shirt. “Turn off your freaking alarm. Some of us don’t have early morning classes for a reason.”

“My what?” Lily mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eye. 

“Your alarm. It’s been going off for like ten minutes.” Mary pointed past Lily to the heating and cooling unit she used as her bedside table. On top of it, her shiny new phone vibrated along with the unfamiliar melody that was, apparently, supposed to wake her.

“Oh, fu-” Lily grabbed the phone and poked it into silence. “Sorry.”

Mary hummed a testy response. She hugged the pillow to her chest and turned to the door. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“I know, I know,” Lily answered. “I’ll buy you coffee later to make up for it. And I’ll play around with the alarms so it doesn’t happen again.” She started to click though the alarm app to find her options. “I’m not used to the new one and -” 

With a jolt, she noticed the time. 

Lily jumped out of bed and threw her comforter back, startling Mary in the process. “I’m late. I have to run somewhere before class. Do I have time?”

Her roommate had lived with her long enough to know when to make herself scarce. It also gave her an easy exit to go back to sleep until she had to wake up for her own classes. 

In a whirlwind, Lily found a dress in her closet and tugged on her reliable pair of black flats. She quickly packed up her laptop and notebooks while brushing her teeth. There wasn’t time for breakfast, but she might be able to find something at the store. 

“See you later!” she called behind her, closing their front door. In a gesture that was a few seconds too late to be helpful, Lily ensured that she had the keys for her apartment in the front pocket of her backpack. 

Partway down the street, her phone vibrated again. This time, it wasn’t an alarm.

**Parks and Rec: Rise and shine, wrong number!**

_Me: why are you also up at this hour???_

**Parks and Rec: Jogging**

**Parks and Rec: Or finishing up at least**

_Me: you woke up early to RUN?_

_Me: I almost slept through my alarm_

**Parks and Rec: I wake up early every morning to run**

**Parks and Rec: Have since high school**

_Me: sounds healthy_

_Me: but oh god at what cost?_

**Parks and Rec: The cost of being dashingly fit**

She already missed her alarm, but Lily fell into another Millennial stereotype when she looked down at her phone as she walked. While tapping out her response with her thumbs, she had to backspace a few times to make up for the difference between this keyboard and her old one. 

_Me: (draft) I’m on my way to grab the jello but_

Lily came up short when she bumped into another person, a hand catching her. The phone nearly flew out of her hand. Thankfully, she caught it, since she wasn’t sure her bank account could take the hit of a second new phone in two days.

“Whoa there,” the voice attached to the hand said. “You okay?”

“Sorry. I didn’t -”

She looked up from the luckily uncracked screen of her phone. Then, she had to tilt her chin back farther to meet the other person’s eyes. They were hidden behind a thick pair of glasses frames but still quite alert for this time of day. They were also incredibly hazel, a swirl of several colors in one, and Lily thought to herself that hazel was a truly underappreciated shade. 

She blinked a few times, trying to ground herself.

Instead of steadying her, the dull sparks from the place where his hand was touching her arm made her legs a little shaky. What was happening to her? “Thanks,” she said quietly. Lily withdrew her arm to hold the phone closer to her. “Sorry again. Got distracted.”

“It’s alright. No worries,” he said kindly. His head tilted slightly. “Hey, aren’t you in my Bio class?”

 _That_ was probably why his mussed hair looked so familiar. With that context, she could picture him in the seat a row back from her in their Bio section. She also remembered Mary’s pointed comments about her potentially being a little distracted in Biology when she met Lily after class one day.

"Yeah, I think so," Lily answered. "I was actually hoping to grab something before class, but I'm not off to the best start."

“Well, if you slip in a few minutes late, I doubt Binns will notice,” he said, his lips twitching. “Honestly, I don’t think he even knows whois in the class.” 

Lily felt her own lips follow his into a smile. "Maybe you could save me a seat." 

“Of course. As long as you don’t mind sitting in the back.”

"I think I can handle that for one lecture." Her phone buzzed, reminding her that the shrinking time before class was passing quickly. She shifted on her feet and put a hand on the strap of her bag. "See you there?"

“See you there,” he confirmed, taking a few steps back and saluting her. 

Without moving, Lily watched him go. When he turned suddenly back toward her a few feet later, she hoped he was too far away to notice her blush at being caught. 

“Hey!” he called, his voice carrying to her. “What’s your name, by the way?”

"Evans," she answered. Then, shaking her head, she added, "Lily Evans." She brushed some loose hair behind her ear a little self consciously. "Who will I be sitting next to?"

“James Potter,” he said. She could tell he was grinning, so bright that she could see it even with the distance between them. “Nice to meet you.”

"I'll see you soon, James." It was something of a promise and call to action for herself. She had to run to the store at the end of the road, find a little box of Jello mix, and get to class before it was _too_ late.

She couldn't let someone else take her seat.

\--

“Not another word.”

“I haven’t said anything!”

“You’ve been cackling for the past twenty minutes!”

“Oh, I have not.”

“You laughed the whole way home! You haven’t stopped laughing since we left class!”

“You’re being dramatic. Has anyone ever told you that?”

James rolled his eyes, turning to give his best friend a deadpan expression as he unlocked the door. He was met by another series of poorly repressed snorts as Sirius broke down into laughter… _again._

Honestly, he really ought to take better care of who he allowed to be in his inner circle. He didn’t realize that he was subjecting himself to being mocked for all eternity by entering into a lifetime of friendship with Sirius Black. 

Damn their blood pact they made at age eleven. 

“Sirius…”

“I just - I can’t help it!”

“Fine,” huffed James. “You can stay outside until you collect yourself, then.”

Sirius’ well placed foot was the only thing that stopped James from slamming the door in his face. James didn’t have to look at him to know that Sirius propped himself against the wall for support as he continued to laugh. He chucked his keys down on the counter with a huff. 

“You pay me to switch seats for the morning so you could sit next to some girl. You _beg_ me to do this for you,” said Sirius through his laughter. “Then you can’t even speak to her!”

“It’s Bio,Sirius. Not dinner,” argued James for what felt like the thousandth time. “How am I supposed to talk to her in class? We’re supposed to be paying attention!”

“Pass notes or something,” countered Sirius, wiping away his tears. “Not just sit there, staring straight ahead like she’s not there. I’m not sure you even blinked the whole time.”

James groaned, tugging at his hair. “She’s pretty, Sirius. She’s sopretty that it makes me stupid! I don’t know what to say to her! It’s a miracle that I even managed to make small talk with her before class.”

“It will be another miracle if she talks to you again after this morning.”

“What if she thinks I hate her? What if this was my one chance and I blew it? God, why couldn’t I think to ask her for tutoring or something? I could have said that I’m rubbish at Bio.”

“You _are_ rubbish at Bio,” said Sirius, yawning. Apparently laughing himself silly over James’ stupidity left him tired. “It’s not too late to tell her that.”

“I’m not _that_ bad at it,” muttered James. He was, though. “I’m just better at other things.”

“God, you sound like Mia. That’s something she’s actually told you before, isn’t it?”

“Shut up about my mother. At least she believes in me.”

“Not after I tell her about this.”

“Don’t you dare,” hissed James, jabbing a finger in his direction. “Don’t you mention a word of this to Mum.”

“I’ll take hush money in the form of McDonald’s.”

“I already paid you today!”

“That was for switching seats,” Sirius argued. “This is for my silence.”

 _“Fine,”_ growled James. “What does this say about you as my best mate? All this bribery?”

“It says you’re a bit of a chump. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for my afternoon nap. These early morning classes are really taking it out of me. When I wake up, I expect a ten piece nugget. Don’t forget the Coke!” 

James opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius had already retreated to his bedroom, leaving James to slump sadly onto the couch. He stared blankly at the television. He wasn’t even sure Netflix could solve his depression at this point. 

Why couldn’t he just _talk_ to her? 

He felt so confident after running into Lily at the end of his morning jog. He learned her name!He had spent so long wondering who she was and what her name could possibly be that it must have completely fried his brain once he finally knew it. 

That was the only explanation. 

Or, _one_ of them, at least. 

The other being that he was a walking disaster. 

Both were probably true. 

Sighing, James pulled out his phone. His conversation with the wrong number from last night was still open. Before he realized what he was doing, he found his fingers typing.

**Me: I’ve had such a weird day, wrong number**

**Me: How has your day been?**

_Into the Unknown: had to appease my roommate with some coffee but it’s all right_

_Into the Unknown: what’s up?_

His lips twitched down at his phone. This felt easy. 

**Me: Just one of those days where you feel awkward and want the earth to open up and swallow you whole**

**Me: You ever have those?**

_Into the Unknown: omg have you been reading my 8th grade diary???_

_Into the Unknown: I think I wrote that exact phrase every other day_

**Me: I knew you got me**

**__** _Into the Unknown: btw do you think a phone can survive in the refrigerator for a few hours?_

**Me: Ehh, who cares about the phone? She destroyed yours.**

**Me: An eye for an eye. A phone for a phone.**

_Into the Unknown: I feel weird about destroying it_

_Into the Unknown: can I uninstall guilt?_

**Me: Ha, I don’t think guilt works that way**

**Me: But how awesome would it be if it did?**

**Me: Very important question - What flavor jello did you get?**

_Into the Unknown: cherry_

_Into the Unknown: my sister hates cherry flavor_

**Me: Oooo I love the flavor of petty**

**Me: Nice going**

_Into the Unknown: why was your day weird?_

_Into the Unknown: unless you don’t want to talk about it_

**Me: It’s just…**

**Me: Without going into too much detail, it’s about a girl**

_Into the Unknown: we haven’t actually established this yet but *fun fact* I’m a girl_

_Into the Unknown: maybe I can help?_

_Into the Unknown: unless you don’t want to talk about it!_

_Into the Unknown: this isn’t exactly cracking a cold one with the boys_

_Into the Unknown: or chatting with your girl friends_

_Into the Unknown: or whatever_

_Into the Unknown: ignore me if you want_

**Me: A cold one with the boys?? Really??**

**Me: How did you guess that I’m a disaster of a male**

_Into the Unknown: tbh I mostly said it for the meme_

_Into the Unknown: I can try to help regardless of the gender of your disaster_

_Into the Unknown: though I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think_

**Me: Oh I’m sure it’s much worse**

**Me: It’s bad enough for me to owe my best mate hush money so he doesn’t tell my mum what an embarrassment I am**

_Into the Unknown: did you say something to her?_

**Me: No, that’s the thing**

**Me: I can’t talk to her**

**Me: I don’t know how**

**Me: She makes me nervous**

_Into the Unknown: then it can’t be that bad_

_Into the Unknown: stg some guys set the bar so low_

_Into the Unknown: what about her makes you nervous?_

**Me: Do I sound like a jerk if I say it’s because she’s pretty? Bc she’s so pretty**

**Me: But it’s more than that**

**Me: I can tell she’s kind and smart**

**Me: It’s like… have you ever met a person and just wanted to get to know them better? Like something in you is drawn to them?**

_Into the Unknown: you don’t sound like a jerk_

_Into the Unknown: you sound like you have a crush_

**Me: Crushes are so painful**

_Into the Unknown: guess I should check this before giving too much advice_

_Into the Unknown: are you in high school?_

**Me: No I’m in college**

**Me: WAIT**

**Me: Are YOU in high school?**

_Into the Unknown: no, I'm in college too_

_Into the Unknown: so okay_

_Into the Unknown: you have a crush on a girl_

**Me: A very pretty, unattainable girl**

_Into the Unknown: unattainable?_

_Into the Unknown: okay first step might be making sure you're not putting her on some impossible pedestal_

_Into the Unknown: have you ever talked to her?_

**Me: … I have said a few words**

**Me: I asked her for her name and I told her mine**

_Into the Unknown: okay progress!_

_Into the Unknown: maybe she wants to get to know you too_

_Into the Unknown: are you going to see her again?_

**Me: Yeah we have class together**

**Me: But it’s just the one and it’s super hard to talk in class**

**Me: Especially when said class is your worst subject and you need to be paying attention or you’ll fail**

_Into the Unknown: valid. a crush is not worth failing a class!_

_Into the Unknown: sounds like you need to find a way to talk after class and see if she wants to get to know you too_

_Into the Unknown: is she good at this class?_

**Me: She answers questions in class**

**Me: And laughs at the corny science jokes I don’t get**

_Into the Unknown: aw she's a nerd_

_Into the Unknown: you can ask her about the class_

**Me: Yeah that’s a good idea**

**Me: Hey thanks**

**Me: My best mate just made fun of me for choking in front of her**

_Into the Unknown: that's kind of what best friends are for_

_Into the Unknown: mine attacked me with a pillow this morning_

**Me: Jesus maybe we need new friends lol**

**Me: I really appreciate the honest help, you know?**

_Into the Unknown: idk how much I helped but I can try_

_Into the Unknown: give her a chance to get to know you_

_Into the Unknown: maybe you even make her a little nervous too_

**Me: HA**

**Me: I siriusly doubt that**

**Me: thanks again though, wrong number**

_Into the Unknown: you never know!_

_Into the Unknown: let me know how it goes_

**Me: Will do**

**Me: ttyl, I owe my best mate some McDonald’s**

**Me: (long story)**

_Into the Unknown: okay fine I’ll do some homework_

_Into the Unknown: have a milkshake for me_


	2. But Here's My Number

_Me: SOS_

**Parks and Rec: What’s up??**

_Me: I escaped to the bathroom and got her phone_

_Me: I don’t think she noticed yet_

_Me: what do I do????_

**Parks and Rec: Do you have the jello ready??**

_Me: it's setting in my fridge but I'm at the restaurant now_

_Me: how do I leave with her phone??_

_Me: she's going to notice!!!_

**Parks and Rec: Just lie**

**Parks and Rec: Tell her something came up and you have to leave**

**Parks and Rec: Fake an emergency**

_Me: she's totally going to know I took it!!_

_Me: then she's going to tell our mom and she's going to call me and tell me to be nice to my sister bc she never listens when I say that she definitely started it_

**Parks and Rec: You're just panicking!!!**

**Parks and Rec: Don’t over think!**

**Parks and Rec: Just do it!**

_Me: omg I can't do this_

_Me: I should tell her that she dropped it and I found it on the way back from the bathroom_

**Parks and Rec: Would she honestly buy that though?**

_Me: probably not_

_Me: she doesn't believe anything I say tho_

**Parks and Rec: No pressure or anything but…**

**Parks and Rec: JUST DO IT**

**Parks and Rec: She didn’t hesitate (bitch) when she destroyed your phone**

**Parks and Rec: Also that’s a Vine reference**

**Parks and Rec: Totally didn’t call you or her a bitch**

_Me: what if I tell her I'm sick_

_Me: I could hang out in the bathroom a little longer…_

**Parks and Rec: I mean yeah**

**Parks and Rec: Who doesn’t want to hang out in a bathroom?**

**Parks and Rec: That’s what I love to do in my free time**

_Me: omg stop_

_Me: actually don't please don't leave_

_Me: I can't do this_

**Parks and Rec: She’s probably already wondering where you are by now**

**Parks and Rec: You’ve been in the bathroom for like fifteen minutes**

**Parks and Rec: Time to either pack it in or rip the bandaid off and do it**

_Me: omg_

**Parks and Rec: You could always ditch her there**

**Parks and Rec: Walk out and leave**

_Me: a power move_

_Me: okay_

_Me: I'm going_

**Parks and Rec: You can do it!!!**

**__** _Me: okay I'm actually going!!!_

\--

_Me: do you want the update?_

**Parks and Rec: No**

**Parks and Rec: WHAT DO YOU THINK**

**Parks and Rec: YES OF COURSE**

_Me: I know it's not what we planned_

_Me: but_

_Me: [photo]_

_Me: hope she keeps a spare key under the mat 0:)_

**Parks and Rec: Wait…**

**Parks and Rec: Is that…??**

_Me: her keys in jello?_

_Me: yes, dear wrong number_

_Me: it is_

**Parks and Rec: OH MY GOD**

**Parks and Rec: HOW DID YOU EVEN MANAGE THAT**

_Me: well I did get nervous and drop her phone back in her purse_

_Me: but then I saw her keys and thought “why not??”_

_Me: no long term damage and no jello going to waste_

**Parks and Rec: This is amazing**

**Parks and Rec: I’m truly impressed**

**Parks and Rec: Also slightly hungry after looking at the jello**

_Me: as long as you're proud of me_

_Me: might get myself a milkshake to celebrate_

**Parks and Rec: Get your milkshake girl**

**Parks and Rec: You deserve it**

_Me: she's calling!!!!_

**Parks and Rec: !!!!!!!**

**Parks and Rec: DID YOU ANSWER**

_Me: no!!!_

**Parks and Rec: She’s just going to keep calling you know**

_Me: that was her again omg_

_Me: what do I even say??_

**Parks and Rec: Send her a picture and say “looking for these?”**

\--

_Me: busy - can't answer the phone now_

**_Tuney: Where are they?_ **

_Me: did you lose something?_

**_Tuney: Answer your phone._ **

_Me: can't_

_Me: making dessert_

_Me: [photo]_

_**\--** _

_Me: [screenshot of text conversation]_

**Parks and Rec: OMG**

**Parks and Rec: WRONG NUMBER!**

**Parks and Rec: THE ABSOLUTE CHEEK!**

_Me: I can't believe I did it!!!_

**Parks and Rec: I’m so proud of you**

_Me: I should probably tell her she can swing by to get them_

_Me: could I leave them outside my door?_

**Parks and Rec: Sounds like the best course of action honestly**

**Parks and Rec: Record her when she gets there**

_Me: oh good call_

_Me: okay I just let her know_

_Me: AH_

_Me: thanks for dealing with all of this_

**Parks and Rec: Of course, it’s what I’m here for**

**Parks and Rec: Good luck**

**Parks and Rec: Barricade the front door maybe**

_Me: roommate is here as back up_

_Me: if you don't hear from me in a few days, know I died doing what I love_

_Me: pissing off my sister_

**Parks and Rec: I’ll be sure to bring flowers to your grave**

**Parks and Rec: Here lies Wrong Number**

**Parks and Rec: She lived a good life**

_Me: bring jello to my grave_

_Me: it's what my ghost would want_

\--

James could feel the shaking of his leg vibrating the whole table. 

Apparently so could Sirius, judging by the elbow to his ribs. James was certain he was developing a bruise by now, but he couldn’t help the nervous twitching. When he arrived at Bio this morning, it was to find Lily sitting in her usual seat again. The one directly in front of him. 

He had blown his chance with her. Completely and utterly shattered it. 

There was simply no other explanation for why she would be sitting away from him this morning unless she were completely disgusted with his lack of any verbal skills from the last class. 

He was going to die.

He was past the point of wishing the earth would open and swallow him whole, for it would be too kind.

He was being elbowed again. 

He blinked down at the piece of paper Sirius had slid his way, unbeknownst to James during all his worrying. His best mate’s handwriting stared back at him, a bit shaky and sloppy, most likely from the shaking of the table. 

** Will you cut it out? You’re going to start shaking her table next if you don’t get it under control! She’ll fall out of her chair and then you really will have fucked your chances.  **

Eyes wide, James immediately gripped his leg with a hand to force it to stop before writing back. 

**I’ve already blown my chances. She decided not to sit with me this morning. All hope is lost… Do you think she noticed my twitching?**

Sirius let out a small snort before handing back a hastily written note. 

** You’re being dramatic again. Stop. I doubt she noticed you. She pays attention in this class, unlike you.  **

**I’m going to fail this class. It’s going to be because I’m lovesick and hopeless.**

** Or because you’re rubbish at Bio.  **

**Shut up.**

Sirius didn’t pass a note back after that. James was secretly grateful. He honestly did need to be paying attention - it wasn’t too much of a stretch to say he actually was rubbish at Bio - and at least attempting to take notes in the last half of class. They hadn’t even gotten to the lab work part of the class. He didn’t need to fall behind before they did. 

God, he hated labs. 

Oh, _fuck,_ what if he blew them all up? What if he caused another fire like he did in high school and it got so out of control that it burned the whole university down? What if, during the report of what happened, Lily pointed to him, her face black with soot and said, ‘ _it was that idiot over there! He did this! God, look at my hair! He singed it off!’_

Oh, god,what if his mother found out and then…

James shook his head, willing his imagination to stop running wild. 

This wasn’t chemistry. The chances of him blowing up anything else were low. 

Not completely zero, but low. 

“...that’s all for today, class.” Binns’ voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back down into reality. _Shit,_ he missed the entire lecture. “Please make sure you read the required material before next class and be prepared for another quiz.”

He was going to fail this class. 

But he could only be mildly worried about it as he watched Lily toss her ponytail over her shoulder and lift her bag as she stood. 

This was his chance. This was his one chance to get back on the right track with her and not totally blow it. 

Without thinking, as was his usual method of madness, he bolted from his seat, skidding to a stop in front of her. He really wished he thought this through more when he took in her wide, surprised eyes and opened his mouth. 

“I’m really bad at this class,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. 

There was a thump behind him. James didn’t have to look to know that Sirius had dropped his Bio book before bursting out laughing. He could feel his face heat with embarrassment. 

Why couldn’t he have started a conversation like a normal person?

“Oh,” Lily said. She wasn’t exactly swooning, but she didn’t immediately walk away. All hope was not entirely lost. Before the pause turned uncomfortable, she added, “Do you... need notes?”

**__** _Notes! He did need notes!_

James smiled in relief. “That would be great, actually. I’m afraid I had a hard time following today.” 

Sirius snickered from behind them. “Yeah,” he said, sitting in his chair with his chin on his hand like he was watching his favorite show. “He was very distracted today. Any idea why, Jamie?” 

“Don’t you have a boyfriend to meet up with?” James hissed at Sirius under his breath. He turned back to Lily, stepping in front of Sirius slightly to block his view. “Ignore him. He’s not well.”

“Sure,” she agreed readily, her sharp green eyes only flickering to Sirius briefly. “I was going to type up my notes anyway, so I can send them to you.”

“Sounds perfect. Just… here,” he said, quickly writing down his school email address on the first scrap of paper he could find. He folded it haphazardly before handing it to her. “You can send them here. You really don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind,” she replied, taking the paper from him. “My roommate always says I spend too much time on my notes, so at least someone else will be able to appreciate them. Do you need them for any other weeks or…?” 

“Just today’s would be great for now, but I’m sure I’ll probably need your help again later. If… if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” Lily repeated. She did a one shoulder shrug, her mouth following in what might even be the start of an amused smile. “Happy to help.”

If he wasn’t distracted by the precarious balance of keeping their conversation _normal,_ James might have believed the conversation was going _okay._ Maybe even _well._

He might have found it suspicious even. 

“Great. Thanks. I really appreciate it.” He paused to smile at her once more, attempting to memorize the way her lips mirrored his. 

She had such a pretty smile. 

“I should, um, I should go,” he said, hoping the moment hadn’t gone on for too long to make it weird. He gestured at the door. “Got another class, and I can’t afford to be late.”

_Better to get out now before I screw it up. End on a high note._

“I have to go too.” She took a step back without turning away from him. “Thanks, by the way. For last week. I don’t usually get so into my phone that I run into people and almost show up late to class.”

“Oh,” he said, blinking in surprise. “It’s no problem. I didn’t mind. Running into me or saving you a seat, that is. I didn’t mind either.” 

“Great. Thanks. I have an evening shift at work, so I should be able to send you the notes tonight, if that’s okay. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks again, Lily,” he said, using her name because it felt natural. He wasn’t sure if he had ever called her by her name before this. “I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about it.” With a little wave, she turned to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

“Well, Prongs,” Sirius said. James nearly jumped from his sudden closeness. Sometime in the course of his conversation with Lily, Sirius moved to stand behind James. “That went well.”

At least, he noted, Sirius had some decency and waited until she had a chance to move out of the room, down the hall, and out of earshot. It was the only decent thing about his mate at the moment, but he didn’t care as he turned toward him with a grin. 

He was sky high by this point. 

“I did it,” he told Sirius. As if the boy hadn’t been watching the whole time. “I actually did it.” 

“Congratulations,” said Sirius, clapping him on the shoulder. “You spoke to a girl.”

“I did it,” James repeated softly to himself. “I can’t believe I actually did it. I can’t wait to tell Wrong Number.” 

Sirius quirked an eyebrow at him. “What was that?” 

“Nothing,” said James, shaking his head. He was still grinning. “Nothing at all.” 

\--

“Here you go. They’ll be due in three weeks.” Lily pushed the stack of books across the counter. “Have a good evening.”

“Thanks,” the girl on the other side said as she put them in her messenger bag. 

When she left, their corner of the university library was quiet again. The Monday evening shift was usually slow. Some students still came to the library to study, but the majority stayed home. Laptops and Wifi made her job less likely to be busy. 

A work study meant money, though, so Lily didn’t mind the quietness. It gave her a way to get a paycheck and some of her school work done at the same time. She didn’t need customers to make the time pass. She could count on having enough time to polish her notes and review if she had any exams scheduled for the week. 

She went back to her Bio notes, where she was typing terms and dragging the text boxes to label a diagram.

_Cell Membrane_

_Cytoplasm_

_Nucleus_

_Mitochondria_

She couldn’t help it when she added, _powerhouse of the cell!_

Before she moved on to the next term, the addition did make her pause. For the first time, her notes weren’t entirely for her. She’d told the boy in her class that she would email them. Lily reached into the front pocket of her bag, which was hooked over the back of her chair, to find the crumbled note.

 _Well,_ Lily told herself, smoothing the paper beside her laptop, _if he doesn’t like them, he won’t ask for them again._

That was fine. She was doing him a favor. A favor that had nothing to do with the way his eyes looked when his glasses were a little crooked. She offered to give him notes, so he couldn’t complain too much about them.

She’d keep the meme in.

Lily fished through her bag again to pull out her phone. She set it beside her laptop as well but only let herself check the source of the flashing notification light once she finished labelling the animal cell in her notes.

**Parks and Rec: GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY**

_Me: WHAT HAPPENED_

**Parks and Rec: I made progress with the girl I like today!!!**

**Parks and Rec: I had a whole conversation with her!**

_Me: !!!_

_Me: how did it go??_

**Parks and Rec: Great!**

**Parks and Rec: Or at least I think it went well**

**Parks and Rec: I’m trying not to totally overthink it and freak myself out about possibly saying something stupid**

_Me: omg you’re adorable_

**Parks and Rec: WHAT IF SHE THINKS I SAID SOMETHING STUPID WRONG NUMBER**

Lily nearly laughed but caught herself. Texting wasn’t forbidden behind the desk, but she couldn’t be too obvious about it.

_Me: well what did you say??_

**Parks and Rec: I basically made light conversation about class**

**Parks and Rec: nothing too big**

_Me: since you listened to me, I’m sure you were fine :P_

_Me: have another chance to talk to her again?_

**Parks and Rec: I’m really hoping that today will lead to more chances to get to know each other**

**Parks and Rec: I really want to be her friend**

**Parks and Rec: Like yeah...obviously I want to date her too**

**Parks and Rec: But she seems really cool and I want to get to know her**

_Me: so formal!_

_Me: make sure you relax and let her see the real you too_

_Me: you convinced a wrong number to keep texting, so you must be pretty interesting_

**Parks and Rec: Hey now**

**Parks and Rec: You're pretty interesting yourself**

**Parks and Rec: I mean you did send me several angry shouting text messages when we first met**

**Parks and Rec: Left quite the impression**

_Me: to be fair, I thought you were my sister_

_Me: but I’m not the one trying to ask out a pretty girl in class_

_Me: here to be the mom friend reminding you that someone isn’t worth your time if they don’t like you for you_

**Parks and Rec: You WOULD be the mom friend**

**Parks and Rec: (And I very much appreciate that you are)**

_Me: clean your room and do your homework!_

_Me: also talk to the girl in your class (:_

**Parks and Rec: Yes ma’am!**

_Me: are you going to ask her out?_

**Parks and Rec: Not right now**

**Parks and Rec: Not until I get to know her better and feel like I can talk to her without wondering if I’m being normal while doing it**

_Me: fair_

_Me: you’ll get there_

_Me: what’s your plan when you see her again?_

**Parks and Rec: Ummm… say hi?**

**Parks and Rec: I don’t actually have one**

**Parks and Rec: Is that bad???**

_Me: it’s not bad!_

_Me: you need a chance to show her that you want to get to know her_

_Me: is there sometime you can see her outside of class?_

**Parks and Rec: Maybe???**

**Parks and Rec: I mean I could always ask her on a study date**

**Parks and Rec: Do you think that’s a bad idea?**

_Me: that could be good_

_Me: how do you feel about one on one? is there a class study group you could join?_

**Parks and Rec: I might actually choke if it’s one on one**

**Parks and Rec: But on the other hand I would probably die from embarrassment if I asked my best mate to join**

_Me: so maybe we need another plan_

_Me: something not connected to class?_

**Parks and Rec: Something like…**

_Me: running into each other in the dining hall_

_Me: going to some on campus event_

_Me: any clubs?_

**Parks and Rec: Omg sometimes I forget you haven’t known me my whole life**

**Parks and Rec: Clubs aren’t really my tHiNg**

**Parks and Rec: Not enough skool spirit for them**

_Me: you’re just 2 cool 4 skool_

_Me: find a common interest?_

**Parks and Rec: Hmmm**

**Parks and Rec: That could work**

**Parks and Rec: Maybe I could try to make more small talk later and find out some things that she likes**

_Me: hard to go wrong there_

_Me: people like talking about themselves_

**Parks and Rec: Especially if they’re my best mate**

_Me: you'll come up with something_

_Me: keep me posted_

_Me: I'm invested now_

**Parks and Rec: Of course**

**Parks and Rec: After the jello saga it’s only fair**

_Me: I was thinking_

_Me: since we've been talking for a few days_

**Parks and Rec: Yeah?**

_Me: should I have a name for you in my phone?_

**Parks and Rec: You want to trade names?**

_Me: something I can call you at least_

_Me: there is something fun about having no preconceived notions about each other tho_

_Me: what do you think?_

**Parks and Rec: Yeah I think I like that**

**Parks and Rec: Secret undercover names for each other**

_Me: so when I end up telling my roommate about you, I don't have to say "some guy in my phone"_

**Parks and Rec: Ooo are you planning on telling your roomie about me?**

**Parks and Rec: Are we official now??**

_Me: I have spent several hours talking to you lol_

_Me: but you're trying to be official with class girl ;)_

**Parks and Rec: We can be official texting buddies**

**Parks and Rec: Prongs**

_Me: prongs?_

**Parks and Rec: You can call me Prongs**

_Me: you'll have to tell me the story at some point_

"Hey, Lily."

She put the phone face down, head jerking up to see the new arrival. "Hey, Remus."

"Slow tonight?"

"You know it." She glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time passed. 

And her notes weren't even done.

"You're early," she said. "Doesn't your shift start at ten?"

"I needed a break from my friends," he answered, shrugging. "I couldn't focus and wanted to get some work done. Mind if I wait here?"

"Nope." Lily gestured to the empty chair next to her. "You can make me focus too."

Remus usually overlapped with the last few hours of her shift. Even if they didn’t share the whole time, it wasn't the first time he stopped by to do homework before work. Behind the counter, there was a reliable power outlet and library quiet.

"Distracted?"

"A little," she admitted. 

Her phone buzzed as if on cue. 

**Parks and Rec: It’s a silly story really**

**Parks and Rec: I’ve had the same core group of friends since I was like five and we used to play a game where we were all animals**

**Parks and Rec: I was always a deer so I got the nickname Prongs and it sort of stuck**

_Me: that's cute_

_Me: I don't get along with my childhood friend anymore_

_Me: btw you can call me Val_

"What are you working on?" Remus asked while setting up his laptop. 

"Notes." Lily put her fingers on the keys and copied a line from her notebook so she could count it as working on something. "What about you?"

**Parks and Rec: Val**

**Parks and Rec: Is that your real name?**

“An essay for my Shakespeare class,” said Remus. “It’s as boring as it sounds. What sort of notes are you working on? Anything more interesting?”

"Bio," she replied. "So it's okay. Not the interesting parts yet, but I have to take it for my major."

_Me: my secret agent name_

**Parks and Rec: Ha I love it**

“I have a friend who’s rubbish at Bio,” Remus told her casually. 

“Maybe I should start offering tutoring. Think it pays better than this?”

“Maybe.” Remus yawned, stretching his arms back. “I’m so tired. Hopefully it stays dead for the rest of the night so I can get this work done and go back home and sleep.”

"I should go to bed early," Lily said, "but I need to get these done first. Don't let me leave for the night without finishing." 

“As long as you make sure I have a decent start on this essay,” said Remus, reaching his fist out for her to pound. “Deal?” 

"Deal."

**Parks and Rec: My mate and I are going to catch a movie so you may not hear from me for a bit**

**Parks and Rec: It was good talking to you and thanks again for offering me advice**

_Me: have fun!_

_Me: I need to get some homework done so I should put my phone away_

_Me: good night, Prongs_

**Prongs: Goodnight Val**


	3. It's Hard to Look Right at You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Jilytober!

From: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

To: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Bio Notes

[Attachment: Bio115Notes.doc]

Hey James!

Sorry I'm sending these a little later than planned. Got tied up at work. Hope they help! Let me know if you have any questions. 

See you in class,

Lily

\-- 

_Val: finished my reading early so I have the night off and my roommate has A DATE_

_Val: who goes on a date on Wednesday???_

**Me: Wtf???**

**Me: At least you have an evening to yourself??**

_Val: just me and ben & jerry_

_Val: (I'm being dramatic but let me live)_

**Me: I’ll allow it**

_Val: maybe I'll watch something_

_Val: I can't remember the last time I watched a whole movie_

**Me: Count me in**

**Me: I’ll watch a movie with you**

_Val: did your best mate do something to annoy you?_

_Val: or is he out on a Wednesday date too?_

**Me: He’s always doing something to piss me off**

**Me: But no**

**Me: I just thought I’d keep you company**

**Me: If you want?**

_Val: okay!_

_Val: as long as I'm not ruining any plans_

**Me: Not ruining any plans at all**

\--

**Me: Can’t make it tonight**

**_Wormtail: What??? Why??_ **

**Me: Something came up**

**Me: I’ll make it up to you**

**_Wormtail: no no no_ **

**_Wormtail: you can’t do this to me_ **

**_Wormtail: I need your help!_ **

**Me: Text Remus!!**

**Me: I’m sure he’ll help!**

**_Wormtail: No, he’ll yell at me for not being responsible!_ **

**_Wormtail: god fucking dammit James_ **

\--

**__** _Val: what should we watch?_

**Me: Got any preferences?**

**Me: Literally down for anything**

_Val: netflix bc I don't want to leave my apt and I have my roommate's password_

_Val: have you seen to all the boys I've loved before??_

_Val: or are you too cool for rom coms?_

**Me: Are you kidding me??**

**Me: Who doesn’t enjoy a good rom com**

**Me: Or Noah Centineo**

_Val: SWOON_

**Me: God how are there so many movies?**

**Me: It’s almost overwhelming to look at them all**

_Val: this is why I always end up doing homework or catching the end of whatever my roommate is watching_

_Val: I can't be expected to make decisions_

**Me: I think the two most indecisive people on the planet agreed to have a movie night**

**Me: Omg pride and prejudice is on here**

_Val: confession_

_Val: I've read the book about five times but haven't seen the movie_

**Me: shdhjsnsjsbx**

**Me: YOU HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE**

**Me: VAL**

**Me: How could you not have seen the movie??????????**

_Val: what if movie Darcy doesn't live up to THE Darcy???_

_Val: idk if my heart could take it_

**Me: Okay so I’ve never actually read the book**

**Me: But Darcy is swoon worthy**

**Me: I half fall in love with him myself**

_Val: YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK?_

_Val: PRONGS_

_Val: it's only one of the most iconic love stories of all time???_

**Me: Okay listen**

**Me: We’ve both fucked up here**

**__** _Val: class girl would want you to read it_

**Me: Maybe I’ll read the book if my Uni’s library has it**

**Me: The least we can do to make this right is to watch the movie**

_Val: okay okay_

_Val: we found our movie_

_Val: ready?_

**Me: Give me a moment to get my popcorn!!!**

**Me: Ready!!**

_Val: GO_

_Val: okay can we agree that Kiera Knightley is GORGEOUS_

_Val: this Darcy better be worthy of her_

**Me: Oh don’t you worry**

**Me: He is**

**__** _Val: not that beauty is an indication of worth and all that_

_Val: but she’s KIERA KNIGHTLEY_

**Me: She’s pretty**

**Me: Not as pretty as class girl tho ;)**

**Me: (not that beauty is an indication of her worth and all that)**

**__** _Val: you’re such a sap_

_Val: I can’t believe I almost thought you were too cool for romcoms_

**Me: Hey now**

**Me: Watch your cheek**

**__** _Val: shh you love me_

**Me: I do despite of everything**

**Me: Good lord all these sisters**

**Me: I always forget how many there are**

**Me: I can’t even imagine living in a house with this many people**

**__** _Val: one sister can be more than enough_

_Val: trust me_

**Me: I’m an only child**

_Val: what kind of only child are you?_

**Me: There are different kinds???**

**__** _Val: definitely_

_Val: the kind with parents who forget that they’re kids and treat them like another adult_

_Val: the kind with parents who forget they exist entirely_

_Val: and the kind who are absolutely spoiled_

_Val: which are you?_

**Me: There’s gotta be one you’re forgetting**

**Me: Like the kind with dashing good looks and a humble personality**

**__** _Val: hmm I’ll believe it when I see it_

_Val: I think you’re the spoiled kind 0:)_

**Me: STOP**

**Me: Okay maybe I am**

**Me: Just a bit**

**Me: But I don’t let it go to my head**

**__** _Val: it’s all in that humble personality ;)_

_Val: you were pretty on board with sibling revenge for an only child_

_Val: so I think you really do have a brother_

_Val: he just happens to be your best friend_

**Me: Technically he does live with me**

**Me: So it’s like having a brother**

**Me: I love him like a brother**

**Me: And sometimes I also hate him like a brother**

**__** _Val: sounds like a brother to me_

_Val: my sister makes me so mad and I don’t like her a lot of the time_

_Val: but I do love her_

_Val: guess that’s why it sucks that she hates me so much_

**Me: I’m sure she doesn’t REALLY hate you**

**Me: Does she?**

**__** _Val: she certainly gives a good imitation of it_

**Me: I’m sorry I can’t see how anyone could hate you**

**Me: I know that we only know each other through the phone**

**Me: But you’ve literally tried to help me with my crush without really knowing who I am**

**Me: You seem so kind**

_Val: idk about all that_

**Me: You’re like…**

**__** _Val: omg Jane is such a good sister_

_Val: do you ever think about how Jane Austen made a perfect character and gave her all these good traits and then named her Jane?_

_Val: what a power move_

**Me: You’re JANE**

**__** _Val: I’m probably more headstrong and stubborn like Lizzy_

_Val: you’re the kind one who put up with a random number threatening revenge_

_Val: you better not be a Wickham, Prongs_

**Me: How dare you**

**Me: I’m clearly Bingley**

**Me: When he says there are so many other things he’d rather be doing than reading… gets me every time**

**__** _Val: make sure your bff doesn’t forget to tell you that class girl is in town!_

**Me: Ugh**

**Me: He won’t let me forget about her don’t worry**

**Me: Any chance to heckle me he takes**

**__** _Val: then maybe HE’S Bingley_

_Val: does that make you Darcy??_

_Val: secretly pining after a girl and trying to make yourself better for her???_

_Val: pro tip - don’t say anything rude about her family_

**Me: Darcy is way too cool for me**

**Me: Also way too broody**

**Me: I’m too deliriously happy to be Darcy**

**__** _Val: that is a Bingley mood_

_Val: he’s so sweet_

**Me: I’m also very sweet**

**Me: See? I’m Bingley**

**__** _Val: be sweet and sweep class girl off her feet_

_Val: maybe she’s your Jane_

\--

Moony: Why did you ditch Wormtail?

Moony: And then leave him with me??

**** **Me: New number**

**Me: Who dis?**

Moony: JAMES POTTER 

**** **Me: Something came up Moony!**

**Me: Something important**

Moony: What could possibly be more important than Wormtail failing his classes? 

**** **Me: You’re the smartest out of all of us anyway**

**Me: He’s in better hands with you!**

Moony: I don’t have the patience for this! 

Moony: Prongs! 

Moony: I’m questioning you about this later!

\--

**Me: Sorry got distracted by the scenery**

**Me: It’s so pretty**

**__** _Val: "but not as pretty as class girl"???_

**Me: Now I’m picturing class girl and the scenery together**

**Me: Swooooon**

**__** _Val: sap_

\--

** Padfoot: wtf prongs **

**Padfoot: moony says you ditched wormy bc you have plans**

**Padfoot: but all your friends are busy???**

**Padfoot: ARE YOU PRANKING SNIVELLUS WITHOUT ME??**

**** **Me: Apdnhdbdjs**

**Me: Wtf is with you guys??**

**Me: I have other friends!**

** Padfoot: do i have the wrong number??? **

**Padfoot: prongs has 3 friends**

**Padfoot: who he ABANDONED to go ROGUE**

**** **Me: I did not abandon anyone!**

**Me: Remus is helping Peter**

**Me: What help could I possibly be anyway?**

**Me: I mean I’m rubbish at Bio, come on**

** Padfoot: idk but moons is mad **

**Padfoot: he won’t answer my snaps ):**

**Me: He’s probably not answering your snaps bc he’s helping wormtail**

**Me: And your snaps are always selfies of you**

**Me: He’s dating you**

**Me: He doesn’t need a million selfies**

**Me: He has to look at you enough**

** Padfoot: excuse me??? **

**Padfoot: you are BLESSED to receive my selfies**

**Padfoot: and moony loves them**

\--

**Me: Mr Collins is proposing**

**Me: RED ALERT**

**__** _Val: AH_

_Val: I am so uncomfortable omg_

_Val: HER MOM_

**Me: I die whenever she’s chasing her and the geese scatter**

_Val: mr b is like DON’T INVOLVE ME IN THIS_

**Me: “I will not part with my obviously favorite daughter.”**

\--

**__**_Group Chat: Midnight Marauders_

_Padfoot has changed the name to “Everyone in here thinks Prongs sucks”_

_**Wormtail: PREACH** _

**Padfoot: now that’s settled**

**Padfoot: Moony do I send you too many selfies???**

**__** **_Wormtail: I thought we were talking about Prongs_ **

** Padfoot: MOONY???? **

_**Wormtail: He’s reviewing my notes** _

** Padfoot: gd it prongs **

**Me: WHAT IS WITH YOU GUYS**

**_Wormtail: You ditched me!_ **

**_Wormtail: And now I’m on the verge of tears over here!_ **

**_Wormtail: Moony can’t understand my notes and neither can I!_ **

**Me: And you think I would have been able to???**

** Padfoot: you’re the one who said you would help **

**__** **_Wormtail: Right!!!!_ **

**_Wormtail: Moony says I have to put my phone away_ **

**_Wormtail: But he also said “damn it james potter”_ **

**_Wormtail: First and last name!!!_ **

**Me: Okay look**

**Me: I know I said I would help**

**Me: And it was shitty of me to bail**

**_Wormtail: but????_ **

** Padfoot: I’m sure there’s a but here  **

**** **Me: BUT**

** Padfoot: THERE IT IS  **

**** **Me: Something came up!**

** Padfoot: What does that even mean???  **

**** **Me: I’ve got things going on you guys don’t know about!!!**

**_Wormtail: like what??_ **

** Padfoot: I know you don’t have a date with Evans **

**Padfoot: so what are you doing???**

**Padfoot: …**

**Padfoot: fuck do I need to deep clean the couch when I get back**

\--

**__** _Val: everything with Darcy’s lies is about to go DOWN_

**Me: I am HERE for it**

_Val: THE PROPOSAL IS COMING_

_Val: “hey I lied about your sister and your family sucks but marry me plz???”_

**Me: I love you against my better judgement**

**__** _Val: me @ this pint of ice cream_

**Me: I’m surprised she doesn’t just swoon and pass out on the spot**

**__** _Val: reformed Darcy is the one worthy of swooning_

**Me: Is that your type then?**

**Me: Reformed, socially awkward men?**

_Val: he loves her enough to want to be a better person_

_Val: isn’t that what everyone wants?_

**Me: And someone who makes them want to be better too I guess**

**Me: who’s the sap now ;)**

**__** _Val: my sappiness is all theoretical_

**Me: Haven’t put it to practice then?**

**Me: Is there anyone like that in your life?**

**Me: Idk if that’s too personal**

**Me: If it is ignore me**

**__** _Val: no it’s fine_

_Val: I’m not dating anyone_

_Val: I’ve never really dated anyone actually_

_Val: not in a way that counts_

_Val: is that weird?_

**Me: It’s not weird at all**

**Me: I’ve only dated one girl and it lasted about six months**

**Me: So I don’t feel like I’ve dated anyone for real either**

**__** _Val: been on a few dates_

_Val: but I've never felt IT, you know?_

**Me: Yeah I know exactly what you’re talking about**

**Me: There’s just not a spark**

**__** _Val: idk I feel like I can tell you this stuff bc we don’t know each other_

_Val: does that make any sense?_

**Me: I get what you mean**

**Me: Talking like this is almost easier than talking to someone in person**

**__** _Val: I worry less about what you think of me, I guess_

_Val: and just let myself be me_

_Val: thanks for being on the other end of the wrong number_

**Me: Maybe I should be thanking YOU for sending me a bunch of angry texts**

**__** _Val: or thank my sister_

_Val: but I don't want to :P_

**Me: Yeah no**

**Me: We can’t let your sister take the credit**

**__** _Val: speaking of sisters - LYDIA AND WICKHAM_

**Me: UGH WICKHAM**

**__** _Val: the actual worst_

\--

** Padfoot: is it safe to come home **

**Me: I’m literally the only one here**

** Padfoot: and you’re not doing something **

**Padfoot: … private?**

**** **Me: AGDHSNZNA**

**Me: I AM NOT DOING WHAT YOU THOUGHT I WAS DOING**

** Padfoot: then what were your "plans"?? **

**Me: I was watching a movie**

** Padfoot: and you couldn't help wormy bc...??? **

**** **Me: Bc I’m still watching it??**

** Padfoot: watch it another time??? **

**** **Me: I had to watch it today**

**Me: It was important**

** Padfoot: for class? **

**** **Me: Not exactly…**

** Padfoot: PRONGS WTF **

**Padfoot: I'll be home soon**

\--

_Val: THIS proposal tho_

**Me: Even I would say yes to this proposal**

**__** _Val: you would have said yes to his first one_

**Me: SHUT UP**

**__** _Val: don't get mad at the truth <3_

_Val: (this movie might be making me a little bit of a sap)_

**Me: The movie**

**Me: I’m sure ;)**

**Me: As if you weren’t a sap before**

**__** _Val: MRS DARCY_

_Val: I can't_

**Me: SAP SAP SAP**

**__** _Val: as if you aren't swooning rn_

**Me: How is it already the end??**

_Val: I don't even know_

_Val: thanks for hanging out_

_Val: or texting or whatever this is_

_Val: learn any tips for talking to class girl?_

**Me: I’m going to wander around on foggy mornings looking for her to profess my love**

**Me: Seemed to work for Darcy**

**__** _Val: hope class girl wakes up early lol_

**Me: it will be really awkward if she doesn’t lol**

**Me: Oh shit my roommate is home and he’s pissed at me**

**Me: I think I better go**

**__** _Val: YIKES_

_Val: thoughts and prayers xoxo_

**Me: Thanks I’m going to need them**

**Me: I enjoyed tonight!**

**__** _Val: me too_

_Val: good night!_

**Me: Sleep well <3**


	4. And This Is Crazy

From: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

To: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Bio Notes

Hey Lily!

Thanks so much for the notes. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me out. I’ll try to do better when it comes to paying attention in class, even if I think Binn’s voice could send me into an eternal sleep. 

Do you ever feel like he just lives in the classroom? I’ve never actually seen him move from in front of the board or leave the class when the rest of us do. I have a theory that he died and didn’t realize it and his ghost just remains to teach Biology forever. What a terrible existence that would be. 

Thanks again. 

James

\--

James stared down at a mountain of fries piled in the tray in front of him, feeling defeated. He shoved his now empty wallet back into his pocket and sighed. 

“I think I’m completely broke now,” he grumbled, reaching for a fry and dabbing it in ketchup. 

“Serves you right,” said Sirius, though his tone was muffled by the chicken nugget he was munching on, so it lost its scolding effect. “Ditching the lot of us to watch _Pride and Prejudice._ This was the absolute least you could do.” 

“Technically, I only ditched Wormtail.” 

Remus snorted. “Then pawned him off on me.” 

“Hey!” Peter cried. 

“No offense,” said Remus, patting Peter kindly on the shoulder. “It’s just that I had work of my own to do.”

“Yeah,” Sirius started, elbowing James in the ribs, “and some of us honor our commitments.” 

“Hey! You guys promised if I bought you McDonald’s that you’d lay off. My wallet is completely empty, there’s practically a feast at this table, and you guys are _still_ heckling me!”

"Mia and Monty will understand." Sirius ate another nugget in a single bite. "This is what trust funds are for."

"We should have gotten milkshakes," Peter mused. 

"Here," Remus offered, taking the lid off of his cup to stick another straw in it. He pushed it across the table to Peter. "Have some of mine. It's chocolate."

“I hope you’re all enjoying this,” grumbled James. “No one touch the apple pie. It’s mine.” 

He shoved the pie to the corner of the table for good measure. 

He really ought to have known what he was getting himself into by offering to buy his friends McDonald’s as an apology for being a shitty friend. They weren’t going to let an opportunity to make fun of him like this go. 

He should have offered to pick it up so at least he wouldn’t get taunted in public. He should never have told them that he was watching _Pride and Prejudice_ in the first place, because Sirius couldn’t let it go. 

But above all, he really should stop offering McDonald’s as a way of payment or apology. 

His mother was going to freak. 

"What made last night so important?" Sirius asked, surveying the food for his next target. "Why couldn’t Elizabeth and Darcy wait?"

"You're not even in a literature class," Remus remarked.

James shrugged. “It’s a good movie.”

“That’s not a good enough reason to ditch me,” said Peter. “You weren’t even watching it with anyone.” 

James was silent, rubbing the back of his neck and staring out the window. He saw the reflection of Sirius giving him a curious look. 

“... were you watching it with someone?” Sirius asked slowly. 

“No one was in the apartment, technically,” offered James.

He wasn’t sure he was ready to tell them about Val yet, but he was practically holding the shovel and digging his own hole by this point. How would they even react to him texting a wrong number? How would they react to him continuing to do it, so much that he cancelled plans to watch a movie with someone through a phone?

Remus raised a brow but chewed thoughtfully. Peter finished a box of fries and started a pile for trash on one of the abandoned trays.

"What about… not technically?" Sirius prompted. He reached across the table to open the honey mustard. “Was someone with you?”

“Technically…” James muttered underneath his breath. “I was texting someone.”

Remus narrowed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch that.” 

“Okay, fine,” grumbled James, speaking louder than necessary. “I was texting someone. I was watching the movie with someone and texting them.”

A little girl at the next door table looked over her burger at him. Remus smiled at her and she blushed, ducking back behind her booth.

Sirius' brows rose and started to disappear beneath his hair. "Who?" 

"You weren't texting us," Peter said.

“I have other friends than just the three of you!” 

Peter reached for a chicken nugget with a shrug instead of replying.

“Oneother friend, apparently,” said Remus, smirking as he placed a fry in his mouth. “Is this friend a girl?”

James blinked. “Yes. Why?”

"It wasn’t Evans." When Sirius said it, it was more of a statement than a question. He put force behind it, like that would make it true. 

A second later, a flicker of doubt crossed Sirius’ face. Changing course, he put a fry down before it reached his mouth. "Was it?"

“No, of course not. I don’t even have her number!”

Sirius made a dismissive sound in his throat.

“Then who was it?” Peter asked. 

“You guys… don’t know her,” James told him.

He wished that he hadn’t already sucked his soda down and that Sirius wasn’t blocking his exit to get more. 

His mouth was getting dry. 

“How do _you_ know her?” Remus asked. “Why didn't you just say you had a date?”

“A date?” Sirius sputtered. “Prongs would tell me if he had a date.”

“It wasn’t a date!” James denied. “It was just watching a movie with a friend.”

“You’re still not answering the question,” Remus pointed out. “How do you even know this person you went on a not date with?”

“I… I guess I don’treally know her. Not really.”

There was no other way for James to put it, but he felt foolish for finally saying it aloud. Even though he didn’t know Val outside of their texting conversations, he felt as though he did. His friendship with her felt as real and deep as his friendship with the rest of the Marauders. The only differentiating variable was that he and Val only communicated through text messages, whereas he and the Marauders had grown up together. 

But he didn’t feel that divide when he was talking to Val. He didn’t feel like it was any different talking to her than it was talking to them. 

He wasn’t sure how to explain that to his friends. He wasn’t sure they would understand that sort of connection with a person he had never truly met. 

"What are you talking about?" Sirius said, deadpan. He put down his food, so that made everything feel more pressing.

"Did you meet her online?" Peter asked. "I have an internet pen pal I talk to sometimes."

“I sort of met her through a text,” admitted James. There was no turning back now. “A wrong number text, specifically.”

They all blinked at him for a few seconds, making the silence stretch a little long. 

"Do you want to… tell us about it?" Remus said finally. 

"Well, you have to now," Sirius added. He picked up a fry and dunked it in ketchup a few times.

"Yeah," Peter agreed. "Since you bailed on studying."

James sighed. “It’s not so much of a long story as it is… an oddone, I guess.” 

“Well, the best place to start is from the beginning,” Remus offered kindly. “You said you met her through a wrong number text.” 

“Yeah, she meant to text her sister who had destroyed her phone by dropping it in water,” said James. He found his straw suddenly interesting, twirling it with his fingers round and round inside the cup. “It turns out our numbers are one number off, and well…she got me instead.”

“Oh, it all started with revenge,” Sirius said. “I can understand that. What'd you do, tell her to shove her sister's phone in jello?”

James ignored Sirius’ question. He didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being right. 

"And you've kept texting?" Peter asked. "How long have you been talking to her?"

“A couple days now, I guess?” 

“A couple days?” Remus repeated. “That’s it? And you ditched your study session with Peter?” 

"Not cool," Peter agreed.

“It’s not - ugh. A couple days in a texting friendship is like five years in a normal friendship,” argued James. “It moves faster.”

“Hold up,” said Sirius, scrolling through a phone. It took James several more seconds than it should have to realize that it was _his_ phone he had. “There are hundreds of messages here! You’re talking to her like - like a normal person!” 

“Hey!” cried James, reaching for his phone and failing to grasp it. “Give it back! How’d you even get my phone?” 

“Took it while you weren’t looking,” said Sirius, holding it out of reach. “Val? Her name is Val?” 

“That’s what she told me to call her,” said James, still struggling against Sirius. “We came up with nicknames for each other so we don’t know our real names.”

"Why can't you know each other's real names?" Remus posed.

“We decided not to. To keep some of the mystery.”

"And how do you know she's not some forty year old guy?" Peter asked. "Or our Bio professor?" 

“She’s not a forty year old guy,” Sirius said before James could open his mouth. When Sirius’ determination was met with blank stares, he shrugged. “She doesn’t talk like a forty year old guy. She talks like a girl our age. See for yourself.” 

Before he could stop him, James watched as Sirius casually chucked his phone across the table. He thanked every god he could think of when Remus caught it and it didn’t land in anyone’s Coke.

Remus did, however, take Sirius' prompting and thumb through the texts. "Sirius is right. She does sound like a girl our age."

"Lemme see," Peter said, peering over Remus' shoulder. "Did he tell her he had plans?" 

"No," Remus replied. "Sounds like he was keeping her company." He looked up from the phone to meet James' eyes. "Does she live around here?"

“I don’t know. I assume so because our area codes are the same, but I haven’t actually asked.” 

“I bet she does,” said Sirius. 

“Can I have my phone back, please?” asked James, reaching across the table. “This is humiliating enough without you guys going through my texts.”

"I guess so," Remus answered, holding the phone across the table to him. "But you still shouldn't be cancelling plans without being honest about it."

"What makes it so humiliating, anyway?" Sirius pointed a fry at James. "For once, you're talking to a girl - a girl who likes you - like a normal person."

“She doesn’t like me,” protested James. He blushed and wasn’t sure why. “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

"Friends who had a movie date," Sirius objected. 

"Friend who you tried to hide," Peter added.

“Friend who is making you blush,” Remus chimed in. 

“You guys, just stop,” snapped James. He tugged at his hair helplessly. “I knew if I told you about her you’d act like this. She can’t like me. We don’t even know each other well enough for her to like me.”

"Why not? You already said texting friendships move fast," Sirius countered. He shrugged and took another drink of his Coke. "It sure sounds like she likes you."

"I dunno,” Remus said. “She's giving him tips about another girl.” 

“Is the other girl Lily?” Peter asked. 

“Of course it’s Lily,” said James with a snort. “Who else would it be?”

“It _should_ be this Val girl,” Sirius said, gesturing at James’ phone. “You’ve made more progress with her in a few days than you have with Lily all semester.” 

"You did stay in to watch a movie with her." Peter took the last chicken nugget and dipped it in honey mustard. "You haven't done anything like that with Lily."

“Lily and I aren’t there yet. I can’t just ask her to watch a movie with me.”

Sirius snorted. “Yeah, because you can’t talk to her at all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” James asked, twisting in his seat to look at him. 

“Just that you can actually _talk_ to Val,” said Sirius, yawning and stretching back in his seat. “You can’t talk to Lily. Like at all.”

"Well, maybe he will," Remus offered. "Didn't you say he asked her for notes? That's progress." He turned from Sirius to James. "Are you going to ask her to hang out or something?"

“I dunno,” admitted James. “I haven’t actually thought that far ahead. Do you think I should?”

“All I’m saying is, we don’t know who Val actually is behind the phone,” said Remus. “She could be someone wonderful. She could also be someone _not_ so wonderful. But we do know Lily, and Lily is a good person.”

“James does know Val though,” argued Sirius, leaning across the table to fix his boyfriend with a stare. “He knows more about her than he knows about Lily at this point.”

“He only knows the things about Val that she lets him know,” said Remus. “The things she tells him through texting. It’s a very controlled environment. He can’t get anywhere with just texting. He can’t make something real out of that.”

"Why not?" Sirius asked. "If they're talking about real stuff, why wouldn't it be real?"

"He doesn't even know her name," Peter said. "But…" With a glance at Sirius, he added, "He also doesn't know that much about Lily other than her name."

“This isn’t a fight over Lily versus Val,” James cut in. “I like Lily. I have a crush on Lily. But Val doesn't deserve to be pitted against someone. She’s my friend. She’s worth more than just talking to her because I could possibly have a relationship with her. I value her friendship more than that.” 

“That’s very mature of you,” Remus told him in a tone that made him feel like he had gotten the teacher’s question right in class. 

Dammit, he wouldn’t blush because he had gotten Remus’ approval. 

“I’m not saying I _don’t_ value Lily’s friendship. I do, if I can get to that point where she calls me her friend,” James continued. “I’ll be happy with friendship if that’s all she wants. I just… I like her. I like her so much. I can’t help my feelings. I can only help how I control them, right? How I let them affect others.”

Remus stared at him, head tilted for a moment before he spoke. “When did you get so wise? That’s normally my thing.” 

Sirius snorted, shaking his now empty drink. “I’m still Team Val.”

"Can we try to study again this week?" Peter asked, putting the empty cardboard containers on their trays. "You aren't going on another date, are you?"

“It wasn’t a date to begin with, but yes,” James told him. He smiled. “I’m sorry for being such a shitty friend. I shouldn’t have ditched you like that. It won’t happen again.”

Peter shrugged but also smiled. "It's okay, Prongs. Sometimes girls make you a little…"

"Daft?" Sirius supplied.

"Impulsive," Remus offered instead.

“Dumb,” James said, not bothering to fight it. “They make me dumb.” 

“The first step to fixing a problem is acknowledging you have it,” said Remus. 

“I’m not sure he can fix this one,” Sirius said, slinging an arm across James’ shoulders. 

The table was filled with laughter, and this time James joined in. He may have been broke after a trip to McDonald’s, but he was rich when it came to friendship. 

\--

**New Number: Good evening**

**New Number: Is this the one my idiot best mate calls Val?**

**__** _Me: hello?_

**New Number: Because how awkward would it be if I sent a text to another wrong number looking for the girl who sent a text to a wrong number in the first place**

**New Number: Lmao**

**__** _Me: oh, well, hi?_

_Me: he told you about me?_

**New Number: He didn’t really WANT to tell me**

**New Number: But he owed us an explanation for ditching his friends**

**New Number: And you probably don’t know this because you just met him**

**New Number: But he’s a shit liar so he couldn’t get out of it**

**__** _Me: he ditched his friends? that doesn't sound like him_

** New Number: It’s normally not like him  **

**New Number: But he had a moment of weakness**

**New Number: Don’t worry tho**

**New Number: He took us to McDonald’s and more than made up for it**

**__** _Me: that part sounds like him_

_Me: is he okay?_

** New Number: Oh yeah  **

**New Number: He’s made amends and everything**

**New Number: He’s just broke from taking two handsome men and a Wormtail out to dinner**

**__** _Me: okay_

_Me: wanted to make sure he was okay, if you were texting me_

_Me: did he give you my number??_

** New Number: ...not exactly  **

**__** _Me: might need a little more context_

**New Number: I sort of stole it?**

**New Number: When he wasn’t looking?**

**__** _Me: ah the best friend move_

_Me: well, hi again_

_Me: I'm the wrong number your friend has been texting_

_Me: but it sounds like you know that_

** New Number: Yes he tells me your name is Val  **

**New Number: Or that’s what he calls you at least**

**New Number: You can call me Padfoot**

**__** _Me: yes, that's me_

_Me: you're another of the childhood nicknames!_

_Me: hope he's only told you good things about me_

**New Number: Of course of course**

**New Number: He really values your friendship or something along those lines**

\--

_Me: do we like padfoot?_

**Prongs: Wait**

**Prongs: How do you know that name?**

**__** _Me: no reason 0:)_

**Prongs: VAL**

**Prongs: TELL ME RIGHT NOW**

**__** _Me: he might have gotten my number_

**Prongs: what how???**

**Prongs: MCDONALDS**

**__** _Val: he said you had to "make amends"_

**Prongs: No**

**Prongs: Well I mean yes I did**

**Prongs: But he had my phone at McDonald’s and I bet he stole your number then**

**Prongs: Sneaky bastard**

**__** _Me: don't be too hard on him_

_Me: it seems like he has good intentions_

**Prongs: His intentions are always sneaky**

**Prongs: Don’t let him fool you**

**Prongs: You don’t have to keep texting him you know**

**Prongs: No judgement from me if you want to do something drastic like idk...block his number?**

**__** _Me: he hasn't said anything that bad_

**Prongs: Ugh just give it time**

\--

_Me: I promise I don't have some nefarious motive or anything_

_Me: though I guess that's what someone with a nefarious motive might say_

**New Number: Oh don’t worry**

**New Number: I didn’t think you had any nefarious motives**

**New Number: Not for Prongs at least**

**New Number: ...now for that sister of yours ;)**

**__** _Me: luckily I got his number instead of her getting it_

**New Number: In reality I just wanted to text you too**

**New Number: Because I’m spoiled and expect Prongs to share everything**

**__** _Me: oh, I guess I can have two texting friends :P_

_Me: do you have thoughts on sisters who drop your phone in water by "accident"?_

** New Number: I think they’re just as awful as brothers who pretend you don’t exist  **

**__** _Me: ouch that sucks_

_Me: I'm sorry_

** New Number: What did Prongs tell you to do btw?  **

**New Number: Put her phone in jello or something?**

**__** _Me: he said something like that lol_

** New Number: God he is so predictable  **

**__** _Me: [photo]_

_Me: this is what I did_

** New Number: OH MY GOD  **

**New Number: That is shshjsbsg**

**New Number: I knew we had to be friends**

_Me: thank you thank you_

_Me: who knows if I'll ever convince myself to do something like it again_

_Me: but maybe she'll be less of a jerk next time 0:)_

** New Number: Trust me  **

**New Number: Now that you’re friends with Prongs and me you’ll be doing a lot more stuff like that**

**New Number: Our influence is strong**

**__** _Me: I look forward to it_

_Me: he sounds like a good guy_

_Me: and if you're his bff, you can't be too bad yourself :P_

** New Number: He is a GREAT guy  **

**New Number: I’m glad we agree on that ;)**

**New Number: I mean he can also be a bit stupid**

**New Number: But his incredibly handsome looks make up for that**

**__** _Me: I believe you_

_Me: but you don’t have to talk him up on my behalf lol_

_Me: have you met his mysterious class girl?_

** New Number: I am in the same class so I have watched him crash and burn attempting to talk to her many times  **

**__** _Me: oh no, poor Prongs_

_Me: why is he so worried?_

_Me: if he’s as sweet as he sounds (and as handsome as you say), he should go for it_

** New Number: He can’t think straight around her  **

**New Number: I think he’s put her on some sort of impossible to reach pedestal and has freaked himself out**

**__** _Me: I worried about that tbh_

_Me: even mentioned it to him_

_Me: but he needs to give himself a chance_

_Me: if she doesn’t like him, we’ll find someone else who does_

** New Number: Exactly **

**New Number: Maybe even someone right in front of him**

** New Number: Well, I hate to run but I’m fashionably late for class **

**New Number: Do you mind if I hang on to your number?**

**__** _Me: go for it_

_Me: take care of prongs!_

_Me: and go to class!_

** Padfoot: My dear Val, it has been a pleasure  **

**Padfoot: Talk to you soon ;)**

\--

_Group Chat: Everyone in here thinks James sucks_

_Padfoot has changed the name to “TEAM VAL!”_

**** **Prongs: Sirius????**

**Prongs: wtf have you done??**

**Prongs: Why is Val telling me that you’re texting her??**

** Padfoot: You worry too much **

**Padfoot: I'm helping you get with the love of your life**

Moony: What’s going on? 

**** **Prongs: Padfoot stole Val’s number from my phone and has been texting her!**

Moony: Sirius, what are you doing?

**Padfoot: Helping!!!**

**__** **_Wormtail: ???_ **

**Prongs: I don’t NEED help with Val!**

**Prongs: Val is my friend! Nothing else is going on**

** Padfoot: Something else really should be going on though  **

**Padfoot: Moony, she put her sister’s house keys in jello! She’s funny!**

Moony: If James is friends with her, she has to be at least a little funny

_****_ _**Wormtail: wait aren't you supposed to be in class?** _

** Padfoot: WORMTAIL FOCUS **

**** **Prongs: She is funny!**

**Prongs: But that’s not the point!**

**Prongs: You shouldn’t have stolen her number!**

Moony: I’m with James on this one, Pads. 

Moony: You’re meddling. 

**Padfoot: But Moons!!**

**Padfoot: I needed to check if she was legit**

**Padfoot: And she IS**

Moony: You still don’t know that. 

Moony: We can’t know that for sure until we know who is behind the phone. 

**** **Prongs: She is legit**

**Prongs: It doesn’t matter who is behind the phone**

** Padfoot: Bc VAL is behind the phone **

_****_ _**Wormtail: You guys!** _

**_Wormtail: You may not have to pay attention in class but I do!_ **

**_Wormtail: I can’t focus like this!_ **

** Padfoot: Mute us!  **

**Padfoot: This is too important!**

Moony: James has to be able to figure his own feelings out, Sirius

Moony: You don't even know if they like each other

**Padfoot: You don't know if Evans likes him either!**

**** **Prongs: I am still here!**

** Padfoot: Hi Prongs  **

**Padfoot: All I’m saying is that you guys are writing this off too quickly**

**Padfoot: You’re not even giving Val a chance**

Moony: He doesn't have to fancy her just because she's a girl he talks to

_****_ _**Wormtail: u sound pretty heteronormative, Pads** _

** Padfoot: It's not just because she's a girl!! **

**Padfoot: You saw how they talk**

**Prongs: We talk like friends!!**

** Padfoot: You flirt with her!  **

**** **Prongs: I do not!**

** Padfoot: [surejan.gif] **

**Padfoot: I'm not saying you have to be completely in love with her already**

**Padfoot: But she could be really good for you!!**

Moony: Lily could also be really good for him. 

Moony: She’s very sweet. 

Moony: He just hasn’t gotten to spend much time with her. 

_****_ _**Wormtail: And at the rate he’s going he won’t any time soon** _

**Prongs: Shouldn't you be paying attention in class wormtail?**

**_Wormtail: how can I with this happening??_ **

** Padfoot: Then he needs to actually spend time with her **

Moony: That's what I said

**Padfoot: Then do it, Prongs**

**Padfoot: [justdoit.gif]**

**Padfoot: See if you have a connection like that with Evans**

**** **Prongs: And how do you propose I do that Padfoot?**

** Padfoot: A party!  **

**** **Prongs: what?**

Moony: No

_****_ _**Wormtail: Who is having a party?** _

**Padfoot: We are having a party!**

**Padfoot: And James is inviting Evans**

**** **Prongs: Why would I do that?**

** Padfoot: So you can see if you have a connection like the one with Val with her!  **

**Padfoot: It’s too hard to talk in class**

**Padfoot: Sooooooo**

**Padfoot: PARTY!**

**__** **_Wormtail: that's actually sort of a good idea_ **

**** **Prongs: it’s hard to talk at parties too!**

**Prongs: I’m socially awkward!**

** Padfoot: Well if you're ever going to date her, you have to TALK TO HER **

Moony: your awkwardness is fairly Lily-centric

**Padfoot: What would Val say?**

**** **Prongs: Val would say you’re an idiot**

** Padfoot: No she wouldn’t  **

**Padfoot: She loves me**

**** **Prongs: Stop**

** Padfoot: Why?  **

**Padfoot: Jealous? ;)**

**Padfoot: But siriusly**

**__** **_Wormtail: oh my god_ **

** Padfoot: Val would want you to give it a shot **

**Prongs: Fine**

** Padfoot: I’m sorry  **

**Padfoot: What was that?**

**** **Prongs: Fine I’ll do it**

**Prongs: But if this goes up in flames I stg Sirius**

** Padfoot: It’ll be like every other attempt to talk to Lily in class  **

Moony: Sirius! 

_****_ _**Wormtail: you're actually going to ask her??** _

** Padfoot: Ask her, Potter!!! **

**** **Prongs: I will!!!**

**Prongs: Next time we have class I will**

Moony: Isn’t that tomorrow? 

**** **Prongs: ...omg it’s tomorrow**

**Prongs: What am I going to do??**

**Prongs: I’m not ready!!**

**_Wormtail: he's panicking again isn’t he_ **

**Prongs: How do you ask a girl to a party???**

** Padfoot: “Hey Evans. Me and my friends are throwing a party on Friday. Want to come?” **

**__** **_Wormtail: don't overthink it!!_ **

Moony: You can do it, Prongs.

**** **Prongs: Okay okay**

**Prongs: I can do this**

**_Wormtail: you can!!_ **

Moony: Text us an update after class tomorrow. 

_****_ _**Wormtail: You got this Prongs!** _

**Padfoot: I could live stream him while he’s asking her**

**** **Prongs: NO**

Moony: Don’t you dare. 

Moony: He’s already nervous enough. 

**_Wormtail: I’m invited to this party too right?_ **

**_Wormtail: Guys?_ **

**_Wormtail: GUYS!!!_ **

**_Wormtail: You spent all of class distracting me and now this??_ **

**_Wormtail: Fuck you guys._ **

Moony: Don’t worry. You can come.

** Padfoot: bring booze **


	5. I Threw a Wish in the Well

To: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

From: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Bio Notes

No problem! Happy to help.

I'll admit that he isn't the most interesting professor. We aren't even doing the fun parts of science yet. You might be into something, though. Do you think ghost professors get tenure?

Lily

\--

James' source of distraction must have been easily remedied, since he didn't approach her after class again for notes. Professor Binns was in his usual form, so he didn't suddenly become more helpful or instructive. It must have been a one time thing.

That was fine, Lily told herself. There was no reason why James couldn't tackle the rest of the class on his own. He needed a little help, and she gave it. That was that.

Was it strange that she was a little disappointed?

She went back to the same plan she used for every other Bio lecture. Her notes still needed to be typed and saved with the rest so she could study for the next exam. No one asking for them didn’t change that. 

This time, she could put in as many memes as she liked.

"Hey, Remus," Lily greeted when her co-worker appeared. Their shifts were earlier today. She even had time to finish her notes before he arrived since her phone wasn't buzzing with as many text alerts.

Admittedly, she was a little disappointed about that too.

"Hi, Lily." Remus slid into the seat next to her and pulled out his laptop. "Working on something tonight?" 

"Some reading for history," she replied. Lily gestured to the still-closed book and her capped highlighter. "Eventually."

"Fair," Remus said. "I should be reading more Shakespeare, but…"

"We both deserve a break,” she decided quickly. “I mean, we're at _work_ , but…"

Remus grinned. "You're right. An hour without homework won't kill us."

"Not yet, anyway."

“So,” he started, spinning in his chair, “how was class today? Anything… eventful happen?”

"Not really. I _want_ to like Bio, but the professor doesn't really help things." As if on cue, Lily yawned. "What about you?"

“No, nothing yet at least,” he said. He checked his phone, thumbing through it quickly as he spoke. “Hopefully things will get interesting soon though.”

Lily glanced at her phone but didn't see the notification light flashing. "Hopefully. I always thought pre-med would be a little more exciting."

“I think all the exciting bits start _after_ pre-med. As for me, well, I’ll probably be stuck with Shakespeare for the rest of my life. How unfortunate.”

“That’s what you get for majoring in English and Education.”

“Correct,” he told her in his best impression of a professor’s tone. She instantly felt herself swell with pride, along with a bit of silliness. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and I enjoy books.”

"You'll be good at it," Lily replied easily. "You managed to help me make sense of Faulkner for my American Lit essay. You have a gift."

“Or a curse,” he countered, his lips twitching. “If you consider all the bookshelves I’m going to have because I can’t stop buying books.”

“It means you’ll never be short on decorations,” Lily countered. “People will always know what to get you for the holidays.”

Remus laughed. “Sirius will love that. A house full of books.”

“Does he like to read too? Or will he put up with them for your sake?”

“He told me once that he isn’t sure if he actually knows how to read. He’s convinced that he’s just memorized a bunch of words, if that tells you anything.”

“Oh my god,” she answered, propping her chin on her hand. “Boys can be so dumb.”

“They really can. Speaking as a boy myself, you have no idea how dumb.” His eyes flickered toward the door. “Oh, look. Speak of the devil. There’s James.” 

“Who?” Lily’s gaze followed his, where she recognized the boy rushing through the doorway. “You know James? He’s in my Bio class.”

“Huh,” Remus said, as if this information was both expected and surprising.

Lily furrowed her brow but followed James’ path from the door. 

“Hey there,” said James casually once he approached their counter. He waved at Remus before turning to smile at Lily. “Long time, no see.”

Standing up straight, she raised her hand in a brief wave. “Hi, James. Did you have better luck with the lecture today?”

“Oh yeah,” he told her, gripping the strap of his bag. “Today was much better. I think your notes from last time probably helped me understand everything a bit more.” 

“Great. I’m glad.” She offered him a smile and brushed her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Maybe we can swap notes or review before the midterm.”

“That’s a good idea,” Remus said. “Didn’t you say you wanted someone to help you study in Bio, James?”

“Oh… _oh,”_ said James, blinking rapidly. “That’s right. I’m sort of in the market for a study buddy. Seeing as I’m rubbish at Bio.”

“I’m sure you’re not that bad. Professor Binns _could_ be making sure we’re engaged and actually understanding everything. I swear, I learn more by reviewing my notes than actually attending the lecture.”

“I really am rubbish. I nearly blew up a lab in high school,” James told her, his cheeks heating up. “You can ask Remus.” 

“It’s true. He’s a bit hopeless when it comes to any kind of science subject. He needs constant supervision.” 

“I’m a bit of a disappointment to my family,” added James, laughing. “My dad actually teaches Chemistry at another college. Seems I didn’t get the gene.”

When he was laughing at himself, it felt natural to join him. “You blew something up in Biology? That’s impressive. Maybe you’re innovating while the rest of us are too busy following instructions.”

“You’d think it would be impossible for me to blow up something in Bio, right? But apparently not.” He smiled. “If you’re ever interested in a study partner, let me know. But my parents might make you sign a waiver so they don’t get sued.”

“Well, my sister is a receptionist at a law firm, so I might know some people.” She shook her head but maintained her smile, saying, “But don’t worry. We don’t always get along. Studying sounds like a great idea. Did you need anything from the library?”

“I already know what I’m looking for. Just gotta go get it.” He turned to go toward the stairs. “I’ll be back down in a few.” 

“Text me if you get lost,” Remus called after him. 

“Shut up,” James told him, though he was still smiling. He turned to Lily and waved again before disappearing.

“I don’t know why it always surprises me when people know each other around campus,” Lily said, putting her elbows on the counter. “Our school isn’t that big, but I always manage to forget that the people in my classes have lives outside of them.” 

“I don’t blame you.”

Lily looked at Remus for a beat, long enough for a piece to fall into place. “Wait. Sirius! Your boyfriend! The one you’re always talking about!” She sat up. “He’s James’ friend. The one in class with us.”

“That’s the one,” said Remus. He smiled softly. “Doesn’t seem like we would go together, does it?”

“I don’t know him very well,” she admitted. “But the way you talk about him? It definitely sounds like you should be together.”

“He’s my person. Even if he’s a bit stupid at times.”

She couldn’t fight her own grin. Remus looked a bit like he was in his own dream world, even though they were stationed behind a library counter. It had to be nice to be with someone who could make him feel like that. 

“You’re so sappy, but it’s sweet. We already said boys can be dumb. It’s all about finding the right kind of dumb for you.”

“I suppose that's true,” Remus agreed. He tapped the pen in his hand a few times against the counter as he spoke. “Sirius is...He can be so stupid, but like in the best possible ways. He’s stupidly loyal. He loves me so much I think it affects his ability to think. Do you know when he asked me out, he practically shouted it at me after school one day?”

Lily, still leaning over the counter on her elbows, pressed her palm to her cheek. "And that's how you knew he was the one?" 

“Oh no. I actually liked him for a year before that, but I never said anything.” Remus smiled, seemingly lost in a memory a million miles away. “That’s my brand of stupid. I just… I never dreamed he would like me back. I valued our friendship too much to mess anything up. I guess… that’s when I knew that it was possible. That he could love me and I could love him.”

"I'll have to meet him properly sometime. If he's everything you say…" Lily nudged his shoulder good-naturedly. "I've never felt like that about someone, but you give a girl hope."

“There’s no one like that? No particular stupid boy you’ve got your mind set on?” 

"No, not really." Without meaning to, her eyes drifted to her phone, then snapped back to him. "No one I would yell at after class, anyway. How did your other friends take the two of you becoming the two of you?"

“James was ecstatic. He had been waiting for us to get together for a while apparently. Peter was… confused? He didn’t know we were interested in each other that way, but he’s pretty oblivious to things like that.”

"Incredible," she replied with a laugh. "I can't believe you found such good friends _and_ a perfectly stupid boy in high school. Back then, I couldn't wait to get out of my small town and go to a new school and meet people more like me. When I got my college acceptance letter, my sister said I was unbearable, but I was so happy."

“I’ve been pretty lucky, all things considered,” Remus agreed. “I don’t have any siblings, but they sound awful. Sirius doesn’t get along with his brother.”

"They can be your best friends or worst enemies, I think. It sounds like you had a good group around you."

“I really did. Closest thing to brothers I’ll ever get, I suppose. You know,” said Remus quickly, blushing, “aside from Sirius, of course.”

When she laughed this time, someone at one of the tables looked over at her with a frown. Lily put her hand over her mouth to muffle it. 

She stood up to drag a pile of books over to her. While they weren't busy, she could organize some of their returns. "Do you think James really did get lost?"

“Quite possibly,” he said, checking his phone. “He hasn’t text me yet. Maybe one of us should go check on him.”

"I can cover here if you want to go find him."

“Do you mind checking on him?” Remus reached into his bag and looked like he was trying to find something. “I remembered that I’ve got some books of my own to check back in. You can put away some returns while you find him, if you want. Stretch your legs a bit.”

"Okay," she agreed, shrugging. She scooped up the pile of books and went to the other side of the counter. "These are a bunch of fiction returns, so I'll start there." 

Lily turned to the door and went up the stairs. At the top, she consulted the pile and started toward the shelves that held the beginning of the alphabet. She looked down each aisle as she passed and stopped a few times to slip a book into place. When she made it to the end of the A section, James was there, a few books already in his hands.

"Hey," she said, shelving a book. "Remus was wondering where you went."

“Oh hey,” he said when he saw her, lifting the books in a way of greeting. “Sorry, I got distracted. Did you realize how big this place is?”

"Sometimes I forget, even though they gave us a whole tour on my first day of work. Did you know there's a whole floor at the top where barely anyone goes? They have all sorts of old film and newspapers."

“Oh yeah. You work here,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Of course you know how big it is.”

"I rarely come up here, though,” she said. “There's so much more space. I'm usually behind the counter downstairs. All the study tables make it look smaller."

“I normally do my research online or ask Remus to pick up books for me since he’s already here,” James explained rather quickly. “I’ve never realized how massive it really is in here.”

"I don’t think most people do. My dad is always telling me how research took so much longer when he was in school. When he saw how many papers I had to write, I had to remind him that so much is online now."

“Can you imagine if we didn’t have the internet?” He shuddered and Lily watched his hair shake into an even more unruly state. “What major is requiring you to write so many papers?”

"Me not knowing how to take the easy way out," she answered with a self-deprecating turn of her mouth. "I'm pre-med. I know a bunch of science nerds skip humanities, but I wanted to make sure I was well-rounded. Now I’m stuck with an American Lit class that always has about three essays due. What about you?"

“Broadcast journalism. I like sports and talking about them. Or just talking in general, if you ask my mum.”

"Then you'd be my dad's favorite person,” Lily remarked. “He watches Sports Center every night. Maybe he'll get to see you on there one day."

“God, that would be a dream come true,” he said, his eyes frosting over dreamily. He shook his head a moment later. “I should probably get going. I need to get started on the Bio homework or I’ll never get it done.” He frowned, not making any move to leave. “What about you? Do you have any plans this weekend? Homework or... otherwise?”

Lily shrugged as she consulted her remaining stack of returns. "There's always homework, isn't there? Other than that, I'm probably just hanging out with my roommate."

“Oh, well, my friends and I are having a party at our place. It’s nothing too big, but if you want to come, you can. And - and you can bring your roommate too.”

"Oh.” She looked up from the spines of the books. “You and Remus and Sirius?" she said, her heart skipping a bit. 

Why would that be? It was probably an open invitation to several people.

But he was still asking her. 

James nodded.

"That sounds fun. When should I come by?"

He blinked as though he hadn’t expected the question. “Oh, um, nine? Probably. Or anytime after that. Whenever is good, really. Even if you’re early, I know a guy who can get you in.”

"Friday night?" she prompted. 

“Friday,” he said, smiling. “I know that one for sure.”

"Awesome,” she answered, returning his smile. “I'll be there. Can you email me the address?" 

“Yeah, I’ll do that tonight as soon as I get home.” He readjusted the books underneath his arm. “I better go get Remus to check these out for me.”

"And I better put these away," she said, holding up her own stack of books. 

“I’ll see you Friday?”

"See you then."

“Try not to get lost. I almost did,” he told her in a way that could have only been half joking. 

She watched him go, disappearing down the stairs until she couldn’t see him anymore. Even without her best friend there, she had a pretty good idea of how Mary would be reacting. It made Lily want to tell her what happened.

Sorting the books, however, was her job, and it came easily. She slipped them into their places and even re-shelved some of the abandoned books on tables. In a few minutes, she was done and ready to go back downstairs to keep Remus company.

Before she got to the stairs, her back pocket buzzed. Lily reached for the phone automatically. It had only been a few hours, but she was already starting to miss the increasingly frequent buzzes.

**Prongs: LOOK WHAT I GOT**

**Prongs: [image]**

The picture was a well-worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice._ She smiled at her screen, stopping in the middle of an aisle to type her reply. 

**__** _Me: ENJOY!!!_

_Me: bet you'll swoon over Darcy ;P_

**Prongs: Assuming I can make it that far**

**Prongs: I think I read the first page 5 times to understand it**

**__** _Me: it's not that bad!_

_Me: have you tried to read any stream of consciousness? that's impossible to understand_

She looked up from the phone long enough to start on the steps. It wasn't busy and Remus could handle it, but she shouldn't leave him alone for too long.

**Prongs: lol**

**Prongs: How is your day?**

_Me: my day is good._

_Me: how are you?_

**Prongs: My day has been lovely**

**Prongs: Even better now that I’ve spoken to you**

**__** _Me: you're not so bad yourself :P_

That, she knew, was an understatement. 

Lily couldn't deny the little jump her heart made when his name came up on her phone. They hadn't known each other that long yet, but his name in her notifications was already a comfort. When her phone buzzed, she was disappointed when it was only a new email. She found herself hoping it was him. 

She hopped off the last stair. This was silly. They'd only exchanged a few texts today, and she already felt lighter.

_Me: spending the rest of the day with Darcy and Lizzy?_

**Prongs: Possibly**

**Prongs: Want to keep me company?**

**__** _Me: sure I won't be too distracting?_

**Prongs: You’re the perfect amount of distracting**

She was grinning like a fool, but she couldn't help it. 

This friendship was unlike any other she had. Former teachers said she was cheeky and Mary laughed at her one liners, but this was different. Those moments didn’t have this extra edge. Maybe it was because it was easier to admit things to someone who was on the other end of a text instead of standing in front of her. Maybe it wasn’t so hard to be herself and not worry about any repercussions. Maybe it was because the stakes were lower. 

Whatever the reason, Mary would definitely call what she was doing _flirting_.

Did she mean to be flirting? 

She wasn’t sure. 

_Me: well you're very distracting_

_Me: but I don't mind 0:)_

**Prongs: I’m glad I’ve finally found someone to put up with me**

**__** _Me: don't forget about Padfoot!_

**Prongs: I think it’s the other way around**

**Prongs: I think I put up with Padfoot**

Lily ducked behind the counter again. Remus was looking intently at his laptop but turned his head toward her when she sat on her chair. 

"Thanks for finding him," Remus said. “He left with more books than I have ever seen him carry in his life. The sad thing is, it’s only three.”

"No problem. Are you going to the party on Friday?"

"James’ party? Sure." Remus looked away from her, almost deliberately, and typed something on his computer. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Lily said. "James said I should swing by and bring my roommate."

“You should.” 

**Prongs: oh great news btw**

**Prongs: I made progress with class girl outside of class**

Lily’s thumbs hesitated over the screen’s keyboard.

The floating sensation filling her chest deflated like a balloon with a small hole. 

This was what she told him to do, wasn't it? She tried to give him advice. Prongs was clearly smitten with this girl and needed someone to convince him to show the best parts of himself. That's what they talked about between impulsive movie nights and pranks against her sister.

This was what he wanted.

She should be happy for him.

She _was_ happy for him.

Wasn’t she?

_Me: what happened??_

**Prongs: I asked her to hang out basically**

**__** _Me: and???_

**Prongs: She said yes!**

**Prongs: So I’m actually going to see her outside of class this weekend**

“He’s a good guy.” 

It took Lily a second to realize that Remus meant James and not Prongs. 

"Yeah," she replied absently. “He seems like it.”

A few days ago, she was encouraging Prongs' pursuit of this girl in his class genuinely. He sounded so upset, and she wanted him to try. She wanted him to find the courage to let a girl know that he liked her.

Now he'd done it.

_Me: that's great!!! good luck!!!_

She couldn't bring herself to follow up with her usual _keep me posted_ , even though she wanted to know more than ever what would happen. 

**Prongs: Thanks again for all your encouragement**

**Prongs: I really mean that**

**Prongs: I feel like you’re the only one I can be open with about this and not feel judgement**

Lily softened. 

In the beginning, he didn't need to extend any kindness to her. He could have ignored her messages, left it at a wrong number. Instead, he gave her enough prompting to put her chin up and actually respond to Petunia. He made her stand her ground, while she might have otherwise blustered with no response.

When he confided in her, Lily - no, Val - would do the same for him. 

_Me: of course_

_Me: I hope it goes well (:_

"He's friends with you, so he must be a good guy," Lily said. "Plus, you can introduce me to Sirius."

Remus snorted. “Fair warning, he can be a lot.Especially at a party.” 

"I've been warned." Lily nudged his chair with her foot, which made it start to spin slowly. "I'll get to see you be sappy in person."

**Prongs: Me too**

**Prongs: Hopefully I don’t screw this up**

**__** _Me: you won't_

**Prongs: You’d be surprised at the things I can screw up if given the chance**

**__** _Me: have some faith!_

_Me: be your charming self and you'll be fine_

“Who are you texting?” Remus asked. “They certainly have your attention, whoever they are.”

"Sorry," she said, looking up at him apologetically. "I get sucked into these dumb internet fights."

Remus laughed. “Doesn’t everyone?” 

"I'm not the only one who wants to curse my soon-to-be brother in law off the internet?"

“Far from it.”

The notification light was like a siren call.

**Prongs: One awkward Prince Charming coming right up**

**Prongs: Do you think she’ll fall for me if I blush myself to death in front of her?**

**__** _Me: I'd suggest talking_

_Me: Padfoot said you're handsome_

_Me: work your magic_

**Prongs: ...and you took his word for it did you? ;)**

**__** _Me: I see the best in people_

_Me: until they drop my phone in a water glass 0:)_

**Prongs: CHEEK**

**__** _Me: ;)_

"I shouldn't give them so much attention," Lily said, "but it's more interesting than history reading."

“Anythingis more interesting than reading for history.” 

“Even Shakespeare?”

“Ugh, don’t make me choose,” grumbled Remus. “Both will put me to sleep at this point.” 

“Then I propose, dear Remus, that we skip homework for tonight. A break will refresh our minds and get us ready for a whole new day of learning.” She spun on her chair and then dragged her feet to stop it. “Or something like that.”

“I accept your proposal, my lady,” said Remus, pretending to tip a hat. “What do you suggest we do instead?” 

“Hmm…” She spun her chair again.“We already talked about boys and complained about school. What else do you do when you hang out with your friends?”

“Gossip,” he offered. “Eat snacks.”

“Yes. Snacks,” Lily repeated agreeably. She stuffed her book in her backpack for good measure. “I can make a run to the vending machine.”

“I’ll take literally anything chocolate,” said Remus. 

“That I can do.” Lily bent to get her wallet from her bag. “Be right back.” 

People started to leave the library as the hours ticked by and the sky outside must have gotten darker. There was already one person perusing the vending machine selections, so she got a Coke for Remus and a bottle of water for herself. She didn’t hide her attempts to look at her phone while she waited after them.

**Prongs: One day someone will fall in love with you solely for your cheek**

**Prongs: I stg**

**__** _Me: lol_

_Me: you’ll have to let me know when that happens_

**Prongs: You sound like you doubt me**

**Prongs: Please don’t make me suggest a bet**

**Prongs: Because I am a sucker for bets**

**__** _Me: what kind of bet?_

**Prongs: A bet where you would lose and I would win ;)**

_Me: you win if my sass gets me a date?_

_Me: is that what you’re saying?_

**Prongs: That’s exactly what I’m suggesting**

**__** _Me: oh, you’re on_

_Me: what’s the prize?_

When the person in front of her moved aside, Lily fed the machine a few dollars and selected some snacks. They still had a few hours to go, and Remus could return the favor another night.

**Prongs: If I win all I want is the satisfaction of knowing I was right**

**Prongs: What do you want if you win?**

**Prongs: (or lose...depending on how you look at it)**

**__** _Me: how noble of you_

_Me: and I’m guessing you’ll also want all the details of this hypothetical date_

_Me: but if my smart remarks don’t get me a date by the end of the month…_

Lily collected their snacks in one arm and made herself type out the suggestion with one hand.

_Me: we reveal our non-wrong number identities_

**Prongs: You want to know who we are?**

**__** _Me: I was going to say you have to ask class girl out for real_

_Me: but I think you’re going to do that sooner_

**Prongs: You have way too much faith in me Val**

**Prongs: But okay deal**

**Prongs: If you win we will reveal who we are to each other**

**__** _Me: deal_

_Me: hope you aren’t disappointed when you find out_

**Prongs: I could never**

**Prongs: Game on, my dear Val**


	6. Don't Ask Me

"Cute guy from Bio invited you, right?"

"Yes," Lily answered, though she already confirmed this a few times. "He's friends with Remus, the guy I work with at the library. He stopped by to see him and let me know the party was happening."

"Hmm," Mary mused. Since being told about the party, she simultaneously wanted to attend and tried to determine whether this counted as someone asking Lily out. Lily was sure Mary was spending far too much time thinking about it, since they were only a short walk from the party now. "He asked you alone?"

"Yeah, but he told me to bring you, if I wanted."

"If you wanted," Mary echoed. 

"Him and his friends are throwing a party. We're in college. I really don't think there's anything else to think about it."

"But Remus didn't invite you to the party."

Mary was good at this - spinning little bits of information into a story that Lily didn't always know whether to believe. Maybe, in some lights, James' invitation would look like something romantic. More than likely, Mary was reading too much into it. She was actively scrolling through Bumble and meeting people for dates, so she thought Lily should be too.

It wasn't that Lily didn't want to go on a date. She certainly wasn’t making declarations about staying single forever. It was more than the situation never really arose naturally for her.

"You're thinking too much," Lily said. "You need a break as much as I do. It’ll be a few hours where we don't worry about homework or jobs."

"Or boys who don't look like their profile pictures."

"Exactly!"

“Still... a cute boy invited you to a party. You said yes. That’s a big deal for you.”

“You sound like my mother,” Lily replied. “I’m not promising anyone grandkids or godchildren because a boy may or may not have asked me to a party.”

Mary pouted. “You’re no fun. How else am I supposed to get my baby fix?”

“Volunteer to be one of those people who cuddles babies in the hospital, become a nanny, or…” She grinned, the spark in her eyes mischievous. “You can always wait for Petunia to have one.”

“Ack!” Mary cried, her nose curling. “Don’t even joke about that! Can you imagine? Her and Verminhaving a child…”

Lily shivered dramatically. “I try not to. They were telling me at brunch about how they’re going to move to the suburbs so they have enough room for an extra bedroom and a yard. I don’t even want to think about how -”

“Lily!”

This familiar voice made her shoulders rise for a whole new host of reasons. It was a sound she spent months trying to forget.

How did he manage to find her tonight of all nights?

Looping her arm through Mary’s, Lily picked up speed. “Long story short, I don’t want to think about it.”

“How domestically gross,” said Mary. She glanced over her shoulder, turning back to Lily quickly and leaning in as she spoke. “Speaking of gross… quick, walk faster.”

“Trying,” Lily answered. Fortunately, she had decided that Converses were just fine for a party, so she didn’t have to battle a pair of heels. “We can’t be far.”

“Lily,” the voice said again, this time closer. “I thought that was you.” 

He had somehow caught up, making Lily halt and instinctively pull Mary’s arm closer to her. He stepped in front of them, forcing her to say something. It was dark enough that she couldn’t make out his features clearly, but it couldn’t be anyone else.

“What is it, Severus?”

“Where are you going?” he asked, looking directly at her and ignoring Mary entirely. “It’s so late.”

“Out,” Lily replied shortly. “Can this wait?”

“Or not happen?” Mary added drily. 

“I just - I never see you anymore. You don’t answer my emails, you’ve blocked my number, I don’t even know where you liveanymore,” he rambled, taking a step closer in his desperation. “How am I supposed to fix things if you won’t give me a chance?” 

“You could take a hint,” Mary said darkly under her breath.

“I’m not talking about this anymore. We’ve had the same conversation a thousand times over.” Lily took a step back out of instinct and tried to look for an exit. “You have to fix being a bigot with yourself before you try to fix it with me.”

“I’m not a bigot. I’m not!”he protested when Lily gave him a look. “It was a one time thing. A slip up! That’s all.” 

Mary snorted. “That’s a lie, and you know it.” 

“Stay out of this, Macdonald,” hissed Snape. “It’s none of your business.”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Lily snapped, purposely lowering her shoulders and trying to appear that much taller. “You’re blocking both of us from living our lives and seeing our friends. Go home, Severus.” 

“Which friends?” he asked quickly, unable to let it go. His eyes looked her up and down, taking in the way she was dressed for the first time. “Are you going to a party?”

"What if I am?"

“It’s not like you.” 

“What do you know about what she’s like?” Mary scoffed. “You haven’t known her for awhile now. Things change. A cute boy invited her to a party. She wants to go. She’s _allowed_ to go.”

For a moment, Severus’ mouth just hung there, gaping at Lily as if she had caught on fire. “What boy?” he asked finally. 

"None of your business," Lily answered stiffly. "What does it matter, anyway? You're going to have a problem with whoever I say."

“Do you even know this boy? It could be dangerous. Things happen to girls at parties, Lily.”

“Please,” said Mary, rolling her eyes. “Potter isn’t dangerous. He’s a dork.” 

“Potter?” Severus repeated. When he said the name it was like he spat something nasty from his mouth. “James Potter?You’re going to a party that _James Potter_ is throwing?”

Lily didn't know what it was about James that made Severus look like that, but she didn't need to. At this point, it was a mark in his favor. Anything to get her out of this conversation was.

"We are," Lily answered, tugging on Mary's arm and taking a side-step. "I really have to go. It's rude to be late to a personal invitation."

“Potter is an arrogant jerk!” he protested. “How could you be going to one of his parties?”

"Because he invited me.”

“You’re not the type of girl to fall for his stupid charm, are you?”

"You don't get to know what kind of girl I am anymore,” she replied, pulling Mary along with her when she started a path away from him. 

“Let’s go,” said Mary, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a way of dismissal. 

They were a good distance away from Severus before he spoke again. Even with the space between them, Lily felt herself shudder. “You can try to erase me from your life all you want,” he called after her. “But I’m still going to be here, waiting for the day you realize what you’ve let go.” 

“Keep waiting!” Mary shouted back. “It doesn’t make you look desperate at all!”

Lily didn't let him have the satisfaction of her looking back. 

"I'm so sorry," she said, leaning her head close to Mary so she could lower her voice. "I didn't tell him anything about the new apartment or my new phone, but he's still _here_."

“Girl, you don’t have to apologize for him being the way he is,” Mary told her. “Heshould be the one apologizing. It’s so creepy. Do you think he was out wandering around trying to find you?”

“He already threatened to sleep outside my dorm last year when I didn’t want to accept his apology. Maybe creeping around is better than him knowing where to look,” Lily said. “C’mon, it can’t be much farther.”

When they reached the end of the block, Lily consulted the email from James for reference. She looked from her phone to the building, confirming the address on the door. “I think this is it?” she said as they stopped at the end of the sidewalk. After a brief pause, Lily guided them up the path and raised her hand to rap twice on the door. 

The door flew open so quickly that Lily felt herself take a step back in surprise. There, on the other side, stood a beaming James. He looked so happy to see her that Lily instantly smiled back, ignoring the way Mary bumped her shoulder. 

“Hey!” he greeted. Music floated out behind him, and Lily could see that they weren’t the first to arrive. “You made it!”

“We did,” Lily confirmed. When he was smiling at her like that, she couldn’t drop her own. It was hard to look away from him. After a beat, she made herself break contact with his bright eyes, her face a little flushed. “This is Mary, my roommate.”

Mary stretched out her hand formally. “Nice to meet you. Lily’s told me all about Bio. And you.”

“Oh, it’s not like -”

“It’s perfectly like that,” Mary cut in. 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mary. I’m so glad you could come,” said James, his lips twitching. He clearly found Mary amusing. He took her hand, and both girls laughed when he bowed. 

“Thanks for inviting us.” 

James raised his head to look at Lily again, and his gaze hit her like a bolt of lightning. It made her cheeks burn, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“James!” someone called from inside the house. 

Whoever it was came to the door and peeked his head around, leaning against the door jam when he saw the girls on the doorstep. “Hey,” he greeted with a friendly smile. “I’m Benjy.” His eyes lingered on Mary, and Lily heard her friend practically hold her breath next to her.

“Mary,” her friend said, her voice that much quieter than when she greeted James.

 _This_ she could use to her advantage to keep Mary from dropping James hints all night.

“Lily,” she added as her introduction. “Can we come in?”

“Of course,” Benjy said, shoving James slightly. “Jamie, don’t you know it’s rude to leave such pretty ladies standing outside in the cold?” 

“They’d already be inside by now if you hadn’t interrupted us,” said James. “Who invited you anyway, Fenwick?” 

“No one. I heard Sirius talking about it and showed up,” said Benjy, directing his smile and attention at Mary. “Mary, was it? May I get you a drink?”

"Of course you can," Lily answered for her. She pulled Mary into the house by the elbow. 

Mary shot her a look, but when she turned back to Benjy, her charm was on. "I'd love a drink. Lily, have fun with James," she projected the last part to her, though she didn't look away from the boy. He offered his hand, and Mary took it.

"That's Mary," Lily said, smiling fondly. 

“Well… they certainly hit it off, didn’t they?” James remarked, watching them go with a tilt of his head.

"She's good at that," Lily replied. "Knowing what she wants right away. She'll have fun.” When Mary disappeared into the next room, she looked over at James. “It's good to see you."

“You too,” he said, smiling down at her. For a moment, they stood smiling at each other before James blinked a couple times, shaking his head. “Would you like a tour?”

"Yeah," she agreed quickly. "Get a drink along the way?"

“Of course. Let’s start with the kitchen.” 

The kitchen was only a few steps away, but it felt further as they weaved through groups of people talking and laughing together. 

“Sorry about all of this. Sirius invited more people than I thought he would,” he said, stopping by the kitchen counter and handing her a cup. She sniffed it, her nose curling at first hit. “He also made these drinks. So, um, if you’d rather have a soda, I have that too.” 

Lily took a large swallow, sure that her opinion of the drink showed on her face. "It's… different," she said, though she didn't set it down. "Will I get to meet this Sirius, by the way? Remus has told me all about him."

“He’s around here somewhere. Probably pawing Remus to death.” He sighed as if this was a normal but annoying occurrence. “I’m sure we’ll find him. Come on, I’ll finish showing you around.”

Her hair, which Mary had convinced her to wear down, hid her amusement as she followed him. "Do you three live together?"

“Four of us, actually. Peter, our other mate, lives here too.” 

"I'll have to meet him," she said.

James led her out into a living area that was larger than Lily’s parents' sitting room. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and the people in it, but she didn’t see Remus among them. She did, however, catch sight of Mary in a corner, but she was too busy giggling at something Benjy was saying to notice her.

"This is impressive for college guys," she noted, wincing as she took another drink. "Nothing like those frat party horror stories you see in the movies."

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without my parents,” he said earnestly. “They pay the rent for us so long as Sirius and I keep our grades up. My family kind of adopted him, so he’s more like my brother sometimes.”

"Then definitely ask me if you need more Bio notes or help studying." In a burst of Mary-inspired daring, she tapped her shoulder against his. "I can't be responsible for you getting kicked out and letting some other group of guys take over this place." 

“We definitely can’t let that happen,” he said, tapping her back and leaving his shoulder there for a second longer than she did. She thought he may have been blushing, but in the next moment, he took a step forward. “Come on, I’ll show you my favorite part of the house.” 

Dimly, she remembered Severus' anger at the name of who she was meeting. What made him think he could still dictate what she did and who she saw? Everything she saw of James so far was earnest. 

She felt an almost savage joy in giving James a smile and nodding. "Okay."

“Here,” he said. He reached back, offering his hand. “Hold on and I’ll push our way through.”

With one last long drink, she finished her cup and set it aside. In the next second, she put her hand in his. It had been a long time since Lily held hands with a boy, and even though she knew he was only taking her hand to help her through the crowded room, she couldn’t help but be aware of how easy it was to do. 

When a boy first asked her out at fourteen, she remembered the fumbling of their fingers as they attempted to lace them together for the first time in the school hallway. It had taken several tries to get it right. 

With James, it wasn’t like that. He smoothly threaded his fingers through hers. It was almost embarrassing how fast her heart was beating from just holding hands with a boy. 

“Here we are,” he said, reaching a sliding glass door. He opened it to reveal a huge deck, the railings decorated in clear lights. “I enjoy sitting out here sometimes at night and - _oh hell!”_

Lily peered around him, her hand still in his, to see what had caused such a reaction. She nearly burst out laughing when she saw a very disheveled Remus backed into the side railing of the deck, a boy Lily recognized from her Bio class undoing the buttons of his cardigan. 

“James!” Remus squeaked. 

“What are you guys doing out here?” groaned James. 

“Making out,” the other boy - Sirius, she reminded herself - said simply. “What are you two doing out here?” 

“I was trying to show Lily the house,” said James. “Now I’m trying to wipe that image from my head. I thought we agreed to keeping it in the bedroom?”

“We were just kissing!” 

“His cardigan is missing a button! You were well on your way to doing other things. No one wants to see their brother making out!” 

“What - “ Remus blinked, looking down at his cardigan that was indeed missing a button. “Oh damn. Sirius! This is the second one this week!”

“You know I have no control when you wear those things around me,” groaned Sirius dramatically, throwing his head back. 

Where Petunia’s dramatics caused Lily’s irritation to flare, Sirius’ made her laugh. 

He looked at her, noticing her fully for the first time, and smirked. 

“Sirius, this is Lily,” Remus said. “We work together in the library.” 

“And wehave Bio together, I do believe,” Sirius said, walking over to her. Taking her free hand in his, he placed a kiss to her knuckles. “It’s very nice to see you outside of Binn’s class where I can fully appreciate your beauty.” 

“Back off,” said James, poking him in the forehead and pushing him back. “Don’t get your charm all over her. It doesn’t wash off.”

"It's nice to see you too, Sirius," she answered, the smile practically stuck to her face. "Remus told me all about your charm." Lily looked past his shoulder to wave innocently to his boyfriend. "Haven't you?"

Remus' face colored as he fumbled with the buttons of his cardigan. "You're the worst, Evans."

"Even if I bring my emergency sewing kit to our next library shift to fix your buttons?"

“You can fix this?” Remus asked, his eyes lighting up. 

Lily tilted her chin back confidently, glad her childhood lessons from Petunia were good for something. "Of course." 

"Didn't know you could do magic," Sirius said. "No wonder James -"

"Sirius," Remus silenced him, "can you help me look for this button?"

Lily watched as Sirius happily did as he was told, bending down to look for the button with his boyfriend. They were so… domestic, but it was in a way that didn’t leave her feeling queasy like Petunia and Vernon did. 

“Well, this was my favorite spot of the house. Now I feel like it needs to be pressure washed.” James sighed. His hand twitched in hers and Lily realized that they still hadn’t let go. 

"It's not that bad," she replied. "It's actually kind of sweet. Did you want to show me anything else?"

“Show her your bedroom!” Sirius said with a snort. 

“Sirius, for the love of god,” Remus grumbled. “Leave them alone.” 

“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” agreed James, his face bright red. “If we stay out here, I’m going to be apologizing for him all night.” 

His hand in hers gave her a boost. "I guess your room is off limits?" she called to Sirius. "I mean, you're already out here..."

Sirius barked with laughter. “It’s going to be occupied in about ten minutes or as soon as I find this button.”

“No, it’s not!” Lily heard Remus cry, but James was already shutting the door again. 

“Sorry about them,” he said.

"Don't be. I like them." 

Their hands were still clasped together and that, along with the implications of Sirius' comment on the porch, made her a little nervous. It was more personal when there weren’t other people around them. Where she normally might have pulled away, these nerves were softer. They told her that if he didn't want to be holding her hand, he would say something.

If he still was, he wanted to hold it.

Was this what it felt like to be alone with a boy, along with whatever alcohol Sirius mixed together making its way to her brain?

"We don't have to go to your room," Lily said, her words a little hurried. "But I do like you showing me around."

“I don’t mind showing you my room. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. You know, some strange boy who’s rubbish at Bio dragging you to his room.”

"We could get another drink," she suggested. "Whatever we're supposed to do at a party."

“Another drink sounds great, as long as it’s not made by Sirius.”

"Deal." 

His hand in hers helped them weave easily through the crowd. She didn't recognize most of the faces or had only vague memories of passing them on her way to class. 

“So, Evans,” he started when they reached the kitchen again. This time he made his way to the fridge and handed her a soda. She had to release her hand from his to open it and felt the loss of his warmth when she clutched the cold drink. 

"So," Lily echoed, watching the way he moved. 

In the back of her mind, she thought about how she wasn't telling Prongs about this. She wasn't sure she would once she got back to her apartment, either. He talked to her about a girl, but telling him that something might be happening with her and a boy…

Was anything actually happening? Or was she building a city in her head over teasing comments and held hands?

Did she want something to happen?

“Where are you from?” 

She blinked, her heart dropping. That wasn’t what she expected. 

"Close by, actually," Lily said. This time, her words tripped a little over each other, but she wasn't sure it was the alcohol. "The drive's maybe two hours. What about you?"

“I actually grew up around here. My parents are about a twenty minute drive.”

“Wow. Everyone always talks about how far they’re from like it’s a contest they didn’t tell us about when we applied.” Lily took a drink and leaned back against the counter. “How’s it feel being so close to home?”

“I actually don’t mind it. I’m close to my parents, and they give us our space,” he explained. “I mean, they let us have our own house, so they’re pretty cool.”

“Must be.” She looked around the kitchen, her eyes lingering on a marked exam tacked to the fridge. A series of notes clustered around it, declaring pride in whoever did the exam.

Severus couldn’t be right.

What kind of arrogant jerk left notes for his friends on the fridge? At the very least, what kind of arrogant jerk didn’t, when a party was planned, clear them?

“I hope I haven’t ruined your party,” Lily said. “Stealing you away from everyone else.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he told her, smirking. He gestured around to the crowd, still laughing and talking. “I don’t think anyone is really missing me, to be honest.”

This smirk of his had a proud tilt to it, but it made her want to take a step closer. Before she realized it, she crossed to him. “Or,” she offered, “they’re working up the courage to talk to you.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, feigning thought over this. “They’d be awfully disappointed then, because I’m quite content to stay where I am right now.”

She chuckled, now only an arm-length away from him. "You know, I am too. Parties aren't really my usual -"

"Lily!"

Turning at the sound of her name, Lily found her best friend in the doorway. Benjy, the boy from the door, stood behind her with his arms at her waist. Mary's hair spilled over her shoulders, and her eyes danced. 

"Mary," she said. "Everything good?"

"So good," Mary answered, leaning back into Benjy's hold. "I was actually wondering if you…"

Lily's lips turned into the beginning of her own smirk. "Could find my own way home?" 

“Do you mind?” Mary asked. “I don’t want you walking back by yourself.”

“I’ll take her home,” James said. “I don’t mind.”

Lily glanced at him with a grateful smile and then back to her friend. “See? It’s all taken care of. Have fun.”

Mary’s eyes passed across the space between them a few times. Her smile took a troublemaking turn. “Mhm,” she agreed. “See you in the morning.”

Her cheeks got hot, which was surely her friend’s goal, but Mary ducked out of the room before Lily could say anything else.

“You don’t have to worry about Benjy,” James said. “He’s annoying, but he’s a good guy. He’s actually been my neighbor since we were young.”

“I’m not worried,” she assured him, turning her attention away from the vacant doorway and back to him. “We have all sorts of secret phrases to get us out of things. If she didn’t want to go with him, there’d be a Shakespeare-level drama going down. She must like him, so thanks for offering to take me back.”

She purposely didn’t mention how she already ran into someone she didn’t want to see on the walk to his house. A petty part of her wanted to know if Severus would have behaved differently if James was with her instead of Mary.

“Of course. I couldn’t let a pretty girl walk home alone. My mom didn’t raise me like that.”

“Thanks to her, then,” Lily said. “We can go whenever you want. I don’t know how long people normally stay at these things, but it’s a nice walk.”

“I could use a walk right now. Let me tell Sirius that I’m heading out for a bit,” said James, pulling his phone out to send a quick text. “And… done.”

Was it strange that the sight of his phone made her think of another boy?

Another boy, she reminded herself, who liked another girl. Another boy who she encouraged in his crush, who she wanted to value her as a good friend, who was on the other end of a text conversation while this one was standing in front of her.

Lily reached out for James’ hand this time and ignored the phone in her back pocket. “Let’s go.”


	7. I'll Never Tell

_Me: hope you had a good night_

**Prongs: Sorry just now seeing this**

**Prongs: You’re probably asleep by now but my night was amazing**

_Me: I haven’t really been able to sleep actually_

_Me: what made it amazing?_

**Prongs: Is everything okay?**

**Prongs: You normally go to bed earlier than I do**

**__** _Me: everything’s good_

_Me: tell me about your amazing night_

**Prongs: I don’t believe you and I don’t feel right talking about how happy I am when you’re not having a good night**

**__** _Me: I’m not having a bad night - just being weird_

_Me: though I did manage to get my history reading done_

_Me: I want to hear about your night_

**Prongs: If you’re sure?**

**Prongs: You know I’m here if you ever need to talk**

**__** _Me: I know_

**Prongs: My night was wonderful**

**Prongs: I made so much progress with class girl**

_Me: what happened???_

**Prongs: I had a whole conversation with her without freaking out**

**Prongs: AND**

**Prongs: I’m pretty sure she was flirting with me at one point**

**__** _Me: !!!!_

_Me: she probably was_

_Me: feeling better about talking to her again?_

**Prongs: I think so**

**Prongs: I really like her**

**__** _Me: that’s awesome_

_Me: knew you could do it_

**Prongs: Sooooo**

**Prongs: How was your night?**

**Prongs: Talk to me about all things Val**

**__** _Me: weird tbh_

_Me: not bad_

_Me: confusing maybe?_

**Prongs: Hmm, confusing is never good**

**Prongs : (and I would know seeing as I’m confused a lot of the time)**

**Prongs: What about it was confusing though?**

**__** _Me: sure you want to hear about it?_

**Prongs: Of course I want to hear about it**

**Prongs: I asked didn’t I?**

**Prongs: Tell me everything**

_Me: it started with running into my ex-best friend_

**Prongs: Yikes**

**Prongs: This already sounds bad**

_Me: he gets so weird about me having other friends even though we’re NOT friends anymore_

**Prongs: Weird how exactly?**

**__** _Me: telling me how everyone else is an awful person and I’m going to go back to him when I figure out what I’m missing_

**Prongs: Wtf**

**Prongs: He sounds psychotic**

**Prongs: And possessive**

**__** _Me: hence the EX-best friend_

_Me: so that’s probably what made everything else confusing_

**Prongs: I’m sure**

**Prongs: How often do you have to see him?**

**__** _Me: I try not to_

**Prongs: I’m sorry that he did that to you**

**Prongs: It’s not cool**

**Prongs: And I’m sorry he messed with your head**

**Prongs: Was the whole night shitty bc of him?**

**__** _Me: no, it was mostly fun besides that_

_Me: we got rid of him and I got to see some new friends_

**Prongs: That’s always good**

**__** _Me: that part was good_

**Prongs: Sounds like just what you needed**

_Me: I have a question_

**Prongs: Fire away**

**__** _Me: how did you know that you liked class girl?_

**Prongs: Hmm**

**Prongs: I just knew I guess**

**Prongs: I don’t know how to explain it other than it was like something hit me**

**Prongs: It could have been her laugh or how smart she is or any combination of things but it was almost like I didn’t have a choice in the matter**

**Prongs: One day I simply liked her and couldn’t see past her and that was it**

**Prongs: Why do you ask?**

**__** _Me: I met this boy_

_Me: but idk_

**Prongs: You met a boy???**

**Prongs: And I’m just now hearing about him???**

**Prongs: VAL**

**Prongs: WE DON'T KEEP SECRETS**

**Prongs: You know, except for names and like everything else**

_Me: how does she make you feel?_

**Prongs: It’s hard to explain**

**Prongs: She makes me feel all the normal things that go along with a crush...giddy, nervous, like I’m an idiot**

**Prongs: But also...I’ll see something funny during the day and I wonder what she would think about it**

**Prongs: When we met it felt like lightning and I know that’s cheesy**

**Prongs: (but I think I’m cheesy)**

_Me: we already decided that you're a sap_

_Me: but I might be starting to feel like that about someone_

_Me: tbh I don’t feel like that about someone very often and it's like… how do you know it's real?_

**Prongs: Okay let’s back up a minute here**

**Prongs: Tell me about this boy**

**Prongs: When and how did you meet?**

**__** _Me: we started talking this semester_

_Me: but it's like you said - I think about him when we aren't talking, wonder what he thinks about_

**Prongs: And you’re wondering if what you’re feeling is real or not?**

**Prongs: If it’s just a passing thing**

**__** _Me: wondering what it means, yeah_

_Me: if I really felt that way, wouldn't he be the only person I could think about?_

**Prongs: What do you mean?**

**__** _Me: please don't judge me_

**Prongs: No judgement zone here**

**Prongs: As long as you don’t judge me for being a sap**

**__** _Me: this other boy started talking to me and I didn't think about the guy I might like for a little bit_

_Me: do I just like the attention?_

**Prongs: So there was a boy talking to you before this other boy??**

**Prongs: and you didn’t think of the other boy in THAT way until now**

**Prongs: (we need to distinguish between these boys with code names like we do with class girl)**

_Me: god, this is so embarrassing_

_Me: complaining about boys talking to me when I bet neither of them thinks about me that way_

**Prongs: Whoa whoa whoa**

**Prongs: It’s okay**

**__** _Me: it's stupid_

_Me: I shouldn't have brought it up_

**Prongs: It’s not stupid!**

**Prongs: If it’s bothering you it’s not dumb**

**Prongs: What kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t there for your relationship troubles like you are with mine?**

**__** _Me: you're a good friend_

_Me: I guess it's just that I might have been starting to realize that I like a boy_

_Me: but I'm sure he doesn't like me_

**Prongs: I’m sure that’s not true**

**Prongs: Who wouldn’t like you?**

**Prongs:You’re VAL**

_Me: so when the other boy was talking to me and making me feel like everything I had to say was interesting..._

_Me: idk_

_Me: I'm a mess_

**Prongs: You’re not a mess**

**Prongs: Everyone wants to feel seen and important**

**Prongs: You’re allowed to have options too**

**__** _Me: there you go, putting up with my nonsense_

_Me: sorry to unload all of this on you_

_Me: I'll figure it out_

**Prongs: You’ve got to stop apologizing**

**Prongs: We’re friends right?**

**__** _Me: yes_

_Me: I want us to be_

**Prongs: Then let me be your friend and listen to what’s bothering you**

**Prongs: It’s what friends do**

_Me: okay_

_Me: I think I might like someone but I don't think he sees me that way_

_Me: so if someone else might like me that way and I could like them_

_Me: what do I do?_

**Prongs: I don’t think you have to do anything right away. You can take as much time as you need to figure it out**

**Prongs: And I doubt anyone wouldn’t be into you**

**Prongs: But if the first guy doesn’t know what he’s got right in front of him then maybe you should explore your other option more?**

**Prongs: See if your feelings grow**

_Me: you're probably right_

_Me: I should give it some time and don't need to figure everything out tonight_

**Prongs: You have plenty of time**

**Prongs: Things will probably seem a bit less confusing after some sleep**

_Me: thanks for listening_

_Me: I'm really happy for you and class girl_

**Prongs: Anytime**

**Prongs: I mean that**

**Prongs: I know we aren’t “traditional” friends but I really care about you and your happiness**

**__** _Me: I know (:_

_Me: you know I care about you and your happiness too, right?_

**Prongs: I figured that out the first time you listened to me be a sap ;)**

_Me: we should probably get some sleep_

**Prongs: You’re probably right**

**Prongs: I might skip my morning jog since it’s supposed to be in two hours**

**__** _Me: only might??? omg please sleep in_

_Me: I'm turning off my alarm_

**Prongs: Ugh twist my arm why don’t you ;)**

**Prongs: Text me after you get some sleep and let me know how you’re feeling**

**__** _Me: get some sleep :P_

_Me: good night_

**Prongs: Goodnight Val**

\--

To: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

From: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Party Address

I had a really good time last night. It was exactly what I needed. 

Can you let Remus know that I found my sewing kit and will bring it with me on Sunday?

Thanks again for helping me get home.

Lily

-

To: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

From: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Party Address 

I’m glad you were able to make it. You really made my night. No need to thank me for walking you home. It was my pleasure. 

(I swear Remus almost cried when you said you could fix his cardigan. As if he doesn’t have a closet full of them.)

James

-

To: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

From: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Party Address

So I might have found you on Facebook. Hope you don’t mind being my friend. (:

(I understand the pain. Honestly, I almost cried when my sister ruined my favorite cardigan over the summer. Luckily, Mary found the same one for a good deal on Poshmark.)

Lily

-

To: levans0130@hogwarts.edu

From: jpotter0327@hogwarts.edu

Subject: Re: Party Address 

I don’t mind at all. I’m surprised you knew it was me considering my profile picture is my cat. I see your picture is of you ice skating. I went once and broke my glasses. Never again. 

What’s the deal with sisters? I don’t have one, but everyone I’ve talked to who does has these horror stories. Makes me glad I’m an only child. 

James

\--

_**James Potter accepted your friend request.** _

_Lily: hi friend! (:_

**James: Hi!**

_Lily: most important question first_

_Lily: what’s the cat’s name?_

**James: Omg**

**James: Please don’t laugh**

**James: It’s Sir Purr**

_Lily: SIR PURR_

_Lily: oh my god he’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen_

**James: Don’t let him fool you**

**James: He's a giant asshole**

**James: Just this morning he swiped at me for just walking past him**

_Lily: he looks so sweet!_

_Lily: why didn’t we get introduced at your party??_

**James: He was hanging out in my room. He hates any form of socializing.**

**James: He would probably hate you too at first, but don’t take it personally. He still doesn’t like me sometimes.**

**__** _Lily: because you slander him! the poor baby_

_Lily: I bet he’ll love me_

**James: You willing to test that theory, Evans?**

**James: I’d hate for him to scratch your pretty face**

**__** _Lily: you really know how to charm a girl_

_Lily: still need help with your homework?_

**James: Probably will**

**James: I haven’t started it yet lol**

**__** _Lily: Remus was just complaining about all of you procrastinating_

_Lily: I tried to stick up for you but…_

**James: Remus always complains about us tho**

**James: And I’ll get to it**

**James: After this episode of Parks and Rec**

**__** _Lily: good show_

**James: I like The Office better but I’ve been meaning to rewatch it**

**__** _Lily: parks and rec > the office_

**James: It’s funny**

**James: (but not as funny as the office)**

**__** _Lily: during my freshman year I went through a phase of only letting myself watch Netflix when I went to the gym_

_Lily: spoiler alert - that didn't last long_

**James: That sounds like torture Evans**

**James: And this is coming from a guy who exercises daily**

**__** _Lily: well the phase didn't last_

_Lily: and I'm probably as bad at going to the gym as you are at doing your bio homework without procrastinating 0:)_

**James: STOP**

**James: I WILL GET IT DONE**

**James: (and then probably message you for help bc ahxbsjnsjs Bio is hard)**

**__** _Lily: then you should be nicer to me, if you want my help :P_

**James: I will be so nice to you that you’ll regret it**

**James: I’ll write you a sonnet**

**__** _Lily: or_

_Lily: you could bring us dinner?_

_Lily: Remus and I are at the library for work and we both forgot to grab something to eat_

**James: Perfect because I’m also rubbish at sonnets**

**James: McDonald’s?**

**__** _Lily: yes!_

_Lily: Remus says to remember his chocolate shake_

_Lily: and one for me too please!_

_Lily: I'll venmo you_

**James: No worries**

**James: It’s on me :)**

**_Vemno: Lily Evans paid James Potter: “MCD SAVIOR”_ **

**James: EVANS**


	8. I Looked at You

James could feel the first breaths of autumn seeping through the air as he walked across campus. The leaves already started to change and fall, a particularly pretty crimson one landing in his hair as he walked underneath a tall oak tree. 

He plucked it from his tresses, twirling it around in his fingers. He immediately thought of sending a picture to Val with some sort of shitty pun that would get underneath her skin ( _I guess you could say I’m fall-ing for you,_ he composed in his head), but the next minute he thought better of it. 

Val hadn’t gone silent on him since their early morning talk a week ago, but she was significantly less present in their conversations. He wasn’t sure if he had done something unintentionally to offend her or if she was still caught up in her love triangle with the two boys and didn’t have the extra energy to spare his dramatics at the moment.

He frowned, thinking of their conversation. They were two weeks away from the end of the month, and he was certain she was going to end up with a date before their bet was up. But he found that it bothered him in a way he didn’t expect. After zoning out in class this morning, he finally came to the conclusion that it was because he wanted to know who she was. 

That _had_ to be it.

He wanted to know the person behind the number. If she got asked out, he wouldn’t get to know. He was a selfish bastard, he knew, but that couldn’t be helped. 

He had accepted that fact a long time ago. 

The chime of the old clock tower on campus alerting him that it was noon shook him from his thoughts. He had been so lost within his own mind that he wandered onto a part of campus that he hadn’t meant to go to. He looked around, blinking, before his eyes settled on dark red hair sitting in the middle of a patch of grass. 

He felt his heart speed up, watching as Lily turned a page in whatever book she was studying, her nose scrunched up in concentration. 

While Prongs and Val might have hit some sort of bump in the road, James and Lily had found an easy path since the party. He could speak to her now without wondering if he was being awkward. She even found him funny on more than one occasion. Though some of that was unintentional humor, seeing as James was an idiot and his everyday going ons brought enough hilarity to where he sometimes wondered if his very existence was a joke. 

He shook his head, deciding to use his unintentional luck to spend some more time with Lily. He walked over to where she sat, attempting to keep his pace light. Nonchalant. It wouldn’t do to go skipping over towards her. 

“Hey, Evans,” he called to her once he was within earshot. 

He _adored_ her surname, and she didn’t seem to mind him using it, so it stuck. 

She looked up from her studying, the look of concentration turning into a wide smile. “Hey!” she answered. “If you needed help with Bio, you could have emailed. I would have told you where I was hiding.” 

“I _always_ need help with Bio,” he said, dropping his bag and taking a seat next to her. “If I emailed you everytime I needed help, you would get sick of me.”

“I don’t think so.” Lily marked her place in the book and leaned back on her hands to look at him. “It’s good practice explaining science stuff in a way that makes sense.”

“I think you overestimate my ability to understand even the simplest of science concepts,” he said, snorting. 

“You’re not that bad,” she assured him. “With a decent teacher, I bet I could talk you into a STEM minor. Anatomy could help a lot of sports journalists.” 

“If you’re willing to take on the job,” he said jokingly. “Remus told me you fixed his cardigan up for him, by the way. He was so happy I thought he might cry.”

Lily shrugged like it was nothing, but her expression subtly changed. “My sister’s better at that kind of stuff, but I picked up some of it.”

“Well, you’re better than any of us. Don’t be surprised if he starts bringing them to you regularly.”

That made Lily’s smile return in full force. “Surely Sirius knows how to kiss his boyfriend without ruining all of his clothes?”

“One would think, but apparently not. It’s a wonder Remus himself isn’t covered in scars.” James shuddered, willing his mind not to wander to the countless times he had walked in on Remus being mauled. 

She laughed, expression fully at ease. It had been like this since the party, their meetings light and easy instead of riddled with his nerves. Knowing that she _wanted_ to talk to him helped. A few times she had even been the one to start a conversation after class.

“He’s totally gone for him, you know,” Lily said. “Remus talks about him all the time at work.”

“Ugh, I know. You weren’t there when it all started. You think Remus is bad? You should have seen Sirius. He was like a lovesick puppy until they got their shit together.”

“Well, it’s hard,” she replied diplomatically, though he could see the hint of teasing in her eyes. “First you have to know you like a person, then you have to figure out if they like you, then there’s bound to be some misunderstandings along the way…” 

“It’s always a whole big _thing,_ isn’t it?” James replied, just as teasing. “It’s never simple when you like someone.”

“No,” she replied, her smile softening slightly. “It’s never simple.” 

“It wouldn’t be as fun if it were,” he said, winking at her. There was no mistaking the blush that tinted her cheeks, and it made James flush with pride and possibly misplaced courage. “Do you have a lot of studying to do this weekend?”

“I always have a lot of studying to do,” Lily answered, letting her hair fall over her cheek. She usually wore it tied back in a ponytail or pulled into a braid. In the new, fresh bite of the autumn air, she let it down. He remembered that she wore it the same way when she came to his party. “Mary says I worry too much. But if I’m here, I want to give it my best shot, right?”

“Of course you do. That doesn’t mean you can’t also take a break and enjoy yourself.”

“I’m getting better at that.” Lily looked over at him. She seemed to consider him for a few seconds and, he thought, liked what she saw. “I went to a party and even let a boy walk me home.”

“That’s true,” he said, bumping her shoe with his own. “What would you say to the same boy taking you to dinner?” 

Instantly, the teasing left her face. Lily looked surprised, more than anything else. “Like, um…” She turned over the words. “Like a date?”

“Yeah, if you want it to be. I’m fine with it being a meal between friends or a date. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Which do you want it to be?”

“I’m all for it being a date,” he said, wondering if he was coming on too strong. He smiled softly at her. “But only if you’re okay with it, honestly. I don’t want to be pushy.”

“I’m okay with it,” she said quietly. Then she sat up, her voice returning to regular volume. “I want it to be a date. With you.”

“Okay then,” he said. His smile was so wide it almost hurt. “It’s a date. What day works better for you? Friday or Saturday?”

“Friday night,” Lily said quickly, mirroring his smile. “You know where my apartment is now. You could pick me up?”

“Of course. How does seven sound?”

“Great.” Lily picked up her phone and unlocked it. She looked up at him, holding her phone with both hands, and explained, “You’re going in my calendar.”

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed.

_From levans0130@hogwarts.edu: Invitation: Dinner Date @ Fri 7pm_

“Excellent. It’s official,” he said, peering down at the notification. He laughed the next moment. “You’re a dork like me.”

“It’s good to be upfront. You should know what you’re -” Her phone cut her off when it started to chime. She turned off the sound and shoved her book in her backpack. “That’s my alarm for class. Sorry, but I have to hand in an essay, so I can’t be late. I’ll message you.”

“Sounds great. Have fun turning in that essay. Maybe Friday you can finally meet Sir Purr.”

“Maybe.” Her cheeks turned a faint pink as she gathered the rest of her things. She put them in her bag with no particular order. “I’m looking forward to it. See you then, James.” 

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Lily stood and brushed some grass from her jeans. She turned away from him to head to class with a small wave, but the zipper of her bag was still open, a few books threatening to make their escape.

“Oh, hey! Wait a second,” he said, standing quickly and reaching her before she could turn fully to look at him. Slowly, he pulled the zipper up so it wouldn’t snag on anything. He didn’t want to ruin her freshly printed essay right after she agreed to a date with him. “There, all better. You almost lost your books.”

"Thanks," she said, now fully facing him. She had to look up, he noticed, because she was several inches shorter than him. 

Then, so fast that he wondered if he might have imagined it, she moved onto her toes and kissed his cheek. She drew away, the lingering blush acting as confirmation that it happened.

"Friday at seven," Lily said. "Don't be late."

With that, she spun around and started a fast walk toward the Arts and Humanities building, leaving him standing there, wide eyed. 

“See you Friday,” he whispered, his hand reaching up to touch where her lips had just been. 

\--

"So, um." Lily put her keys on the table by the door, her backpack quickly following. "I have a date on Friday." 

Mary dropped her history book, revealing a fashion magazine behind it as she did so. “A date? Oh my god, did James finally ask you?”

"How did you know?" She crossed the room to sit next to Mary on the couch, kicking her Converse off under the coffee table as she did. "I didn't know he was going to ask me. Or that I was going to say yes."

“I could tell he wanted to ask you since the night of the party. I almost rang his neck when he walked you home and didn’t.” Mary looked off murderously before turning back to Lily.

"You were too busy putting a hickey on Benjy's neck to do anything to James’.”

Mary’s expression changed entirely as she beamed at her. “So, you said yes!” 

She put her sock-covered feet on the edge of the coffee table. "I said yes. He's picking me up on Friday night."

“This is great,Lily! How did he ask?”

"He found me studying on the back quad before American Lit. We were talking and… he asked." She looked over at her friend. "Do you think I did the right thing? Saying yes?"

“Of course I do,” Mary said earnestly. She looked over at Lily, tilting her head. “Do you not?”

"No. I like James. I want to go on the date with him. It's…" With Mary looking at her, sincere and curious, her phone was a brick in her back pocket, weighing her down with secrets.

Mary may have been distracted by the new boy in her life, but that wasn't a good excuse for Lily not telling her about what was happening in hers. Guilt mixed with the other emotions that were swirling in her stomach.

"It's complicated." 

“What’s complicated about it?” Mary asked. “A cute boy asked you out. You want to go. Is there something I’m missing?”

"I…" 

Mary put down the magazine, so Lily knew she had her full attention. She put her feet on the couch between them and leaned back against the arm.

"I've been texting this boy.”

“A boy,” repeated Mary. “You’ve been texting a boy who isn’t James?”

If she couldn't tell Mary the truth, she couldn't tell anyone. 

And she trusted Mary with anything. 

"Yes. It started with me messing up Petunia's number, but we kept talking. He's funny and clever, and I thought I might…" 

From her back pocket, she pulled out her phone and offered it, unlocked, to her best friend. "He's listed as Prongs. You can see for yourself. I was starting to think that I might like him, but he likes another girl. I mean, he’s always liked this other girl. He's told me about her since we started talking." 

Lily pulled her knees toward her and faced Mary on the couch. 

"So when I started talking to James and he made me feel…" Lily hugged her legs. "I felt a spark with him too. And he liked me. If Prongs likes this other girl, I shouldn't feel guilty about going out with someone else, but…"

Lily trailed off as she watched Mary scroll through her phone, her mouth slightly open. There were very few times in her life that Lily had seen Mary stunned into silence. 

It was unnerving.

“Lily… there are hundredsof messages here,” she said finally. She paused to read one. “He’s flirtingwith you!”

"He isn't, though," Lily said, "or if he is, it doesn't matter. He likes this girl in one of his classes. He really likes her."

“He told you his day was better because he talked to you. He sends you goodnight texts!” Mary practically shouted. “I don’t know whether I should kick his ass or swoon over some of these. He may like that class girl, but it sounds like he likes you too.”

"He's going to ask her out. He's not going to ask me when things are going so well with her. Not that he would ask me even if they weren’t." Lily shook her head. "And then there's James. He's sweet and loyal to the people around him. I _want_ to go out with him, but if I might like Prongs… Am I an awful person? Am I stringing James along because he actually likes me?"

“Lily, I need you to look at me and understand this,” Mary said, forcefully grabbing Lily’s face and squishing her cheeks in the process. 

Lily blinked at her with wide eyes. 

“You are _not_ a bad person. You are a very good person in a tricky situation. You’re not bad for having feelings for two different boys, and you’re certainly not bad for agreeing to go on a date with one of them. How will you ever know your options if you don’t explore them? You’re not tied down to either boy. You’re allowed to be confused and figure things out.”

Mary's hands on the sides of her face meant Lily had to look at her, really look at her. Her expression was serious and fierce. She meant every word. Mary would stand between her friends and anything, and she chose Lily to be that friend.

No matter what she felt for either boy, she knew this surge of emotion was love for her best friend.

"I'm not a bad person," Lily echoed. "I'm allowed to be confused and try to figure things out." 

Mary smiled, apparently content with her confirming the words aloud, and let go of her face. 

“That’s right,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fixate so much on this Prongs guy, but I didn’t even know that he existed. You don’t know much about him?”

"I don't know some things," she answered, "but I know him. The things that count. I know he's a good friend and that he's willing to stay up half the night to let some girl he's texting talk about her problems." 

“You don’t know his real name though,” Mary mused, biting her lip. “It could be anyone behind the phone. A creepy old man or even someone who goes to this school.”

"He’s not a creep,” Lily said immediately. “His best friend texts me too. He hasn't asked for any weird pictures or pushed me into doing anything I don't want." 

“I guess if he really were a creep, you’d know by now,” Mary said, the relief in her voice evident. “He does text like he’s our age, so that’s probably the more likely option. What if we know him?” 

"He's in college, but I didn't ask where. I didn't want some silly detail to affect how we talked to each other. His number has the local area code, though, so… I guess we could know him."

“Has he asked to meet you or anything like that?”

"No," Lily said, her stomach sinking a little. "We purposely didn't tell each other who we were. Not unless..."

“Unless?” 

Not unless she won their bet.

The bet she lost when she said yes to James.

"We made a bet. At the end of the month, we'd reveal who we are if I didn't get a date. I didn't think I would. I mean, no one has asked me out recently." She tried to explain but had a feeling it wasn't quite enough. "I said yes to James, though, so I'll…"

_I'll never know who he is_ , her mind finished for her.

“That’s an odd thing to bet on. Who came up with the idea for that one?”

"He said someone would fall in love with me," she answered, trying to remember exactly how they got there. "I said they wouldn't, and he told me he couldn't resist a bet. I'm the one who made the stakes, though. I thought I would win. I wanted to know who he was. I thought - I don't know what I thought. But I didn't figure on meeting James and talking with him being so easy and wanting to go out when he asked."

“You didn’t expect to fall for James,” Mary said, though it was as if she were speaking to herself. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Are you going to tell Prongs about the date?”

"I should." Even as she said it, Lily made no move to retrieve her phone. "I guess I'm nervous. I know he likes this other girl, but if I'm going on a date with someone else… It feels like I'll never be able to know if what I felt was real. If it meant anything."

Mary came close to rolling her eyes. “One date doesn’t mean you’re _betrothed,_ Lily. Go on your date, if that’s what you want to do. Which I think you _should,_ honestly. It’s been a while since you’ve gotten a certain itch scratched, if you catch my meaning.”

"Oh my God," Lily said, reaching over to snatch her phone and shove Mary in the process. "That'snot why I said yes! I'm going on the date, but we're not _there_."

“Yeah, yeah,” said Mary, slumping back on the couch and sticking a foot in Lily’s face. 

Lily batted her away and leaned back herself. "You'vebeen looking very happy since the party. As far as that itch is concerned, things must be going well for you."

“So well. I’m about to lock that itch scratcher _down,”_ Mary said, thrusting a fist in the air."Anyway,like I was saying. One date doesn’t mean that you can’t find out where you stand with Prongs. You can make other plans to meet up. If he agreed to it once, he’ll agree to it again. I think you should tell him about the date, though. Be honest with him.”

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "I told him a little about how I was feeling conflicted. I just didn't tell him that _he_ was part of it." 

Lily pulled up her conversation with Prongs and stared at it, letting her cursor blink in the blank texting space. 

“Boys are dense. He’ll probably never figure out that you’re talking about him unless you spell it out. Why don’t you start by telling him you got a date and see how you feel after that? You don’t want to go on this date worrying about what Prongs would think about it.”

"You're right." Lily bit her thumb nail, thinking about all the times she had to admit that to Mary.

She pressed send on her text and set her phone on her stomach so she wouldn't keep looking at the screen. "If I wake you up in the middle of the night for texting advice, you know why."

“It’s what I’m here for,” said Mary. “That and random dance parties when you need a break.”

"On Saturday night, I'm all yours."

\--

_Me: so I may have lost our bet_

**Prongs: YOU**

**Prongs: HAVE**

**Prongs: A**

**Prongs: DATE**

**Prongs: !!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**__** _Me: I wasn't expecting him to ask, but yes_

_Me: I have a date (:_

**Prongs: You lost the bet but did you REALLY??**

**Prongs: Are you excited??**

**__** _Me: I think so_

_Me: I mean, I'm nervous and can't stop trying to figure out what I'm going to wear_

_Me: I think that's a good thing??_

**Prongs: Where is he taking you?**

**Prongs: Somewhere nice?**

**__** _Me: I just told him to pick me up so we'll see!_

_Me: I took your advice btw_

_Me: the date is with one of the boys I told you about_

**Prongs: You should always take my advice**

**Prongs: I am very wise about most things**

**__** _Me: we'll see how it goes first :P_

**Prongs: ...so I guess this means that we won’t be revealing ourselves since you got asked out?**

**__** _Me: I guess not. That was the bet._

**Prongs: Unless you want to make a new bet…?**

_Me: what's the bet this time?_

_Me: that class girl will say yes?_

**Prongs: Ha**

**Prongs: No bc that already happened ;)**

**__** _Me: WHAT_

_Me: were you not going to tell me??_

_Me: what happened???_

**Prongs: I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR MOMENT OKAY**

**Prongs: I asked her, she said yes**

**Prongs: Romantic isn’t it?**

**Prongs: I’m going to sell the rights away for them to make a film of our love story**

**__** _Me: you didn't text me the moment it happened??_

_Me: OFFENDED_

**Prongs: LISTEN**

**Prongs: I was going text you a picture of this really pretty leaf I found and then I got distracted and I’ve been distracted ever since**

**Prongs: Pls forgive me**

**__** _Me: if I was Padfoot, I'd call you an idiot_

_Me: but I can't stay mad at you_

_Me: how are you feeling??_

**Prongs: I’m feeling good about it!**

**Prongs: But also like I may vomit**

**__** _Me: okay don't do that on the date_

_Me: she said yes!!_

_Me: she's going to love you_

**Prongs: Ugh I really hope so**

**Prongs: I hope I don’t screw this up**

**__** _Me: be honest and sincere_

_Me: let her see the best parts of you_

_Me: ask her about herself_

_Me: compliment her when it feels right_

**Prongs: ...that’s actually really good advice**

**Prongs: I’m taking a screenshot to use on the date**

**Prongs: Done**

**__** _Me: I expect a full report_

_Me: no leaf distractions this time_

**Prongs: I will try my best**

**Prongs: Anyway we are getting distracted**

**Prongs: My dear Val, I propose adding a new bet to the table on the subject of our secret identities**

**__** _Me: what do you propose?_

**Prongs: What if we try to figure out who we are?**

**Prongs: We live in an age where social media is a THING**

**Prongs: What if we gave each other hints and tried to figure it out and see who can do it first?**

**__** _Me: without just telling, you mean_

_Me: like a contest? would one of us win?_

**Prongs: Yes! A competition!**

**Prongs: Whoever figures it out first wins**

**Prongs: And I have to tell you I’m very competitive**

**__** _Me: what do they win?_

**Prongs: Bragging rights**

**Prongs: And McDonald’s on the loser??**

**__** _Me: if we live close enough, we should make a deal to meet_

_Me: once I find out who you are_

**Prongs: You mean once I find out who YOU are**

**Prongs: We have the same area code so I suspect we’re close by at least?**

**__** _Me: unless you went off to some fancy college with your old number and are trying to trick me_

_Me: nice try, Prongs :P_

**Prongs: FANCY COLLEGE HA**

**Prongs: That’s a starting point though??**

**Prongs: We both are in college right?**

**Prongs: That could be the first clue we give each other**

**__** _Me: we told each other that in the beginning_

_Me: shouldn't have reminded you - rookie mistake!_

**Prongs: This is why you’re going to lose ;)**

**Prongs: Do you feel comfortable telling each other what school we go to?**

**Prongs: It can be something to look up on FB**

_Me: okay we'll text our schools at the same time and I'll ask Padfoot if you try to cheat_

_Me: 3_

_Me: 2_

_Me: 1_

**Prongs: Hogwarts University**

**__** _Me: hogwarts university_

**Prongs: WAIT WHAT**

**__** _Me: !!!!_

**Prongs: No way**

**Prongs: You really go to Hogwarts?**

**Prongs: Do you think we could already know each other? I mean...it is a big campus but still**

**__** _Me: maybe?? I guess we'll find out_

_Me: so when I win, we meet_

_Me: deal?_

**Prongs: You mean when I win**

**Prongs: And yes deal**

**Prongs: I look forward to you buying me McDonald’s**

**Prongs: And meeting you of course**

**__** _Me: I want extra fries_

**Prongs: CHEEK**

\--

**Group Chat: TEAM VAL!**

_Prongs has changed the name to Get Ready Lads_

** Padfoot: Is there a reason we are no longer Team Val? **

Moony: I don’t know if anyone else was Team Val.

**** **Prongs: She goes to Hogwarts**

**_Wormtail: ????_ **

Moony: How do you know?

**** **Prongs: We told each other where we went to college**

**Prongs: You guys she goes to school with us**

** Padfoot: But this is amazing news!! **

**Padfoot: You can finally meet right?**

**** **Prongs: We have a bet going first**

**Prongs: We have to figure out who the other person is before we can meet**

Moony: What if she’s lying?

Moony: What if she only said she went to Hogwarts because you did?

Moony: It would be easier to find you that way. 

_****_ _**Wormtail: Do you really think she could be lying?** _

** Padfoot: She's not lying **

**Prongs: There’s no way she’s lying**

**Prongs: We counted down and told each other at the same time**

**Padfoot: I knew she was perfect for you and this proves it!**

Moony: Lots of girls go to school with us, Sirius. It doesn't mean James is going to try to date all of them.

_****_ _**Wormtail: but he COULD date her if they actually might know each other** _

Moony: Or we'll find out she's friends with Snape or something

**Padfoot: GROSS**

**Padfoot: Val wouldn't be friends with him**

**** **Prongs: Yeah I agree with Padfoot**

**Prongs: She can’t stand people like Snape**

**_Wormtail: I wonder if we already know her_ **

** Padfoot: Well the sooner Prongs cracks the case the sooner we’ll know  **

**Padfoot: What else have you got to go on Prongs?**

Moony: I still think this is a bad idea. 

**** **Prongs: Ummm**

**Prongs: Only where she goes to school really**

**Prongs: We actually didn’t tell each other much more than that**

** Padfoot: … **

**Padfoot: I can’t believe this**

**Padfoot: You’re going to lose this bet because you're an idiot**

**__** **_Wormtail: wow_ **

** Padfoot: You’ve probably dropped a thousand accidental clues along the way too **

**__** **_Wormtail: Does it really matter if Val figures it out first?_ **

** Padfoot: Yes!  **

**Padfoot: I’m not in this to lose!**

Moony: You're not "in this" at all

_****_ _**Wormtail: she could ask her friends to help too** _

Moony: Not the point, Pete

Moony: Don't you have a date you should be thinking about, James?

**Padfoot: he can MULTITASK**

**** **Prongs: Yes I can freak out about both things**

**Prongs: Like**

**Prongs: Where am I going to take Lily to dinner?**

Moony: Lily doesn't like things at that too over the top, so go somewhere nice and chill

Moony: And she loves ice cream

**Prongs: Do I pass Val everyday on campus and don’t know it?**

** Padfoot: probably!!! **

**_Wormtail: Are there other things you can think of that you know about her?_ **

**_Wormtail: Personal things that she let slip?_ **

**Prongs: I know that she has a sister and a shitty best friend that hassled her a while back and made her uncomfortable**

**Prongs: Shit what if I know that guy?**

** Padfoot: We kick his ass  **

Moony: I’m really concerned you’re going to end up in jail one day, Sirius. 

Moony: I won’t wait for you, you know.

**Padfoot: Prongs will bail me out**

**Padfoot: I'll be back in your arms before you know I'm gone xoxo**

Moony: Oh god.

**__** **_Wormtail: Did she say anything about her classes? Who she talks to?_ **

**Prongs: I know she has a roommate that she seems close to**

**Prongs: And there are two boys that she’s sort of confused about**

**Prongs: But she agreed to go on a date with one of them**

** Padfoot: I bet one of the boys is YOU **

**Padfoot: Though I guess not the one she is going on a date with**

**Padfoot: Bad luck, Prongs**

**** **Prongs: It’s not**

** Padfoot: How do you know that?? **

**Padfoot: You’ve totally been flirting with her**

Moony: You have??

**** **Prongs: NO**

**Prongs: I haven’t been flirting with her!**

** Padfoot: Riiiiiight  **

**** **Prongs: I HAVEN'T**

**_Wormtail: Padfoot, has he really been flirting with her?_ **

** Padfoot: Absolutely **

**Padfoot: Would I lie to you?**

Moony: Possibly.

_****_ _**Wormtail: maybe** _

**Padfoot: I ate your chocolate ONE TIME**

**Padfoot: You said you forgave me!**

**__** **_Wormtail: I thought Prongs flirted with Evans_ **

**_Wormtail: Doesn’t he fancy her?_ **

** Padfoot: Obviously **

Moony: Yes. And he’s going on a date with her.

**Padfoot: But he’s been flirting with Val too**

**Padfoot: He fancies both of them**

**Prongs: I do not!**

**Prongs: I like Lily**

**Prongs: Val is my friend**

**_Wormtail: A friend that you’ve been FLIRTING WITH_ **

** Padfoot: Facts  **

**** **Prongs: I’m not flirting**

Moony: This is giving me a headache. 

**Padfoot: Do you or do you not send her good morning and good night texts?**

**** **Prongs: Sometimes?**

**Prongs: But I do the same with you**

** Padfoot: Have you been flirting with me, Potter? **

**Padfoot: I’m flattered but you know I’m already taken**

Moony: Oh my god.

**Padfoot: But in all sirius-ness**

**__** **_Wormtail: nice_ **

** Padfoot: Can you honestly say you don’t fancy Val? **

**Padfoot: Think about it, Prongs**

**Padfoot: If she said she liked you**

**Padfoot: What would you say?**

**Prongs: Goddammit**

**Prongs: I don’t know!**

**Prongs: Now you’ve got me all confused**

** Padfoot: Told you **

Moony: It’s what he’s best at. 

_****_ _**Wormtail: Even I’m confused** _

** Padfoot: That’s nothing new  **

Moony: Be nice.

**** **Prongs: It doesn’t matter**

**Prongs: None of this matters anyway**

** Padfoot: Of course it matters! **

**Prongs: I have a date with Lily**

**Prongs: I like Lily**

**Prongs: Val got asked out by some other guy**

**Prongs: She was really happy to be going on the date with him**

** Padfoot: A date doesn’t mean you’re married **

**Padfoot: Go on your date with Evans, have a good time, see how it goes**

**Padfoot: Ask Val how her date goes and see if she likes the guy**

**__** **_Wormtail: then what?_ **

** Padfoot: Talk to them. Tell them how you’re feeling. **

**Padfoot: COMMUNICATE**

Moony: Sirius might be making? sense??

**Padfoot: Learned it all from you <3**

**** **Prongs: Or he’s just complicating things unnecessarily**

** Padfoot: I would never  **

**_Wormtail: … no comment_ **

**Prongs: I like Lily so much**

**Prongs: I don’t want to think about if I might like Val too**

**Prongs: What does that say about me if I do? What kind of person would that make me?**

**Padfoot: Someone who happened to meet two people he likes at one time?**

Moony: What did you think when Val said she was confused about two boys?

**Prongs: I didn’t think any less of her**

Moony: So you shouldn’t think less of yourself either.

**Prongs: It wasn’t a big deal with her**

**Prongs: But with me I feel awful for even thinking about two girls at once**

**Prongs: Why is that?**

**_Wormtail: Because you’re harder on yourself_ **

** Padfoot: Because you’ve told yourself that Lily is The Girl for you no matter what and now you met someone who is making you think that there might not be The Girl for you and that you could love someone else so you’re beating yourself over being not loyal to this idea of Lily **

Moony: I think Sirius is right.

**Padfoot: But you’re NOT disloyal**

**Padfoot: You’re a guy who met and likes two great girls**

**__** **_Wormtail: that sounds right_ **

**Padfoot: Now you have a chance to make it real and figure it out and it’s scary**

**** **Prongs: But I’m going on a date with Lily on Friday**

**Prongs: I shouldn’t be thinking about Val right before a date**

**_Wormtail: Why not?_ **

**Prongs: Because…**

**Prongs: It makes me feel like a selfish spoiled brat**

**Prongs: What if I go on this date and all I can think about is Val and whatever date she’s on?**

**_Wormtail: Then you probably need better dinner conversation_ **

**Prongs: Or what if I go on the date and it’s amazing**

**Prongs: Then what do I do**

**Padfoot: If it’s so amazing that you don’t even think about Val, you have your answer**

**Padfoot: If you don’t click, you know you gave it a shot**

Moony: Go on your date, Prongs.

**Padfoot: If you’re still thinking about Val after, you should tell her how you’re feeling**

**Padfoot: Be honest and give everyone a chance to say where they are**

**Padfoot: Maybe Lily’s trying to figure stuff out too**

**Padfoot: You know Val is**

**** **Prongs: This is all so confusing**

**Prongs: And I'd like to once again point out that it wasn’t that confusing until you made it that way Pads**

** Padfoot: I must not tell lies **

**Prongs: I was happy in my little Lily bubble**

**_Wormtail: Ignorance is bliss_ **

**Prongs: God I’ve been flirting with Val and didn’t even know it**

** Padfoot: That’s why you have me **

**Padfoot: Isn’t it better to know?**

**** **Prongs: I don’t know!**

**Prongs: Sushajnazk**

**Prongs: This is too much to think about right now**

Moony: Then don’t think about it all right now. 

Moony: Focus on what you can do this moment. 

Moony: You’re excited about your date with Lily, right? 

**** **Prongs: Yes of course**

Moony: Then focus on that right now. 

Moony: The date with Lily is the only thing within your control right now. 

**** **Prongs: I still don’t know where to take her**

**Prongs: Or what shirt to wear**

** Padfoot: Wear the blue button down Mamma Mia got you for Christmas last year and made you wear for family photos  **

**Padfoot: It brings out your eyes**

**__** **_Wormtail: You could always take her to the little cafe downtown_ **

**_Wormtail: They have outdoor seating near the water_ **

**Prongs: ...that’s actually a really good idea**

Moony: Be yourself and have fun.

Moony: Lily said yes because she wants to go on a date with you.

_****_ _**Wormtail: Don’t remind her how much you suck at bio** _

**Prongs: But I do suck at Bio**

** Padfoot: She already knows that  **

Moony: It’s not a good conversation piece. 

**** **Prongs: What should I talk about then?**

Moony: You’ll figure it out.

Moony: First dates are all about seeing if you want to go on another date.

**Padfoot: What did you think after our first date, Moony?**

Moony: No comment.

_****_ _**Wormtail: O.O** _

**Prongs: Lmao**

**Prongs: Okay okay**

**Prongs: I’ve got this**

Moony: You do. 

**Padfoot: You’ll be great!**

**__** **_Wormtail: We believe in you!_ **

**Prongs: 24 hours until go time!**

**Prongs: I can’t believe I’m actually going on a date with Lily Evans**

** Padfoot: Ugh you’re leaking sap all over our chat  **

Moony: Stop. It’s sweet.

**Padfoot: You’re sweet ;)**

**__** **_Wormtail: get a room_ **

** Padfoot: If you insist 0:) **

Moony: I have to finish an essay.

_****_ _**Wormtail: burn** _

** Padfoot: :(  **

Moony: ...maybe after. 

Moony: If you’re good. 

**Padfoot: I’m always good ;)**

**__** **_Wormtail: Ugh I’m gonna throw up_ **

**Prongs: ...and on that note I’m going to leave**

**Prongs: I’m going to call the cafe and make a reservation**

**Prongs: You guys have fun**


	9. As I Fell

James checked his back pocket again to make sure his wallet was still tucked inside. It would be just his awful luck if he left it at home, causing Lily and him to be late for their dinner date because he had to backtrack to get it. 

He actually had a nightmare about it the previous night. His nightmare also included his hair falling out, though, so maybe he shouldn’t have put too much stock into it. 

Still, he checked his wallet once more (finding it still there) and tugged on his hair (finding it still attached to his scalp) and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans before knocking on Lily’s door. 

He heard shuffling behind the door, an excited squeal following. He checked his watch as he heard something like a crash. He was right on time. His mother would be proud of his punctuality. 

The door swung open, revealing not Lily but her roommate, Mary. 

Her very disheveled roommate, Mary. 

“Um, hi,” said James, smiling at the state of her. Her hair was thrown up into a messy bun, and James peered behind her to see a coat rack laying across the floor. That must have been the crash he heard. 

“Oh,” said Mary, turning and collecting the coat rack. Several more jackets fell off in her attempt. “Don’t mind this. I was looking for a jacket for Lily since it’s getting colder, and this thing challenged me to a fight.” She shoved it roughly against the wall, her hair coming loosely down from her bun, before turning to him with a smile. “Come on in.”

James laughed, stepping into the room. “Remind me to never cross you.”

“You learn fast,” Mary said. “Lily will be out soon. Can I get you anything?”

Other than the jackets from the misbehaving coat rack, the rest of the apartment was tidy. It had little touches - a blanket folded over the couch, mis-matched coasters on the coffee table - that made it look pleasantly lived in. Lily’s Biology textbook, the same one shoved in his bag back at his house, was on the table, open to their current chapter.

“No, I’m good. Thank you, though,” he said, still looking around. “I really like your place.”

“Thanks. We had to clean it up a bit at first, but now it’s home.” Mary turned back toward him. Even though he hadn’t asked for anything, she pushed a glass of water into his hand. “The owner is the lady next door. We found it at the last minute, so she gave us a deal. It’s so much better than -” 

Her attention and the rest of her sentence were stolen by a door opening down the narrow hallway. 

“Mary,” came Lily’s voice, “which should I -”

Lily stopped when she came into the room. Her hair was down again, but she had a headband tucked behind her fringe. The skirt of the black dress she was wearing flared out and was covered in what looked like small flowers. She held up two cardigans but dropped her hands to her sides when she noticed him.

“Hi, James,” she said, offering him a somewhat tentative smile. “I'm almost ready to go.”

“You should wear the black one,” Mary answered. “It looks good against your hair.”

“I agree,” James chimed. He swallowed. She was so pretty, he was reverting back to his inarticulate stage around her. “Black is a good color on you.”

Lily dropped the other cardigan over the back of one of the table’s chairs and pulled on the black one. “Thanks,” she said, though he wasn’t sure to who it was directed. She already had her shoes on and stepped forward to take the offered jacket from Mary. 

“Ready to go?” This time, she was looking at him.

“Ready,” he confirmed.

“Text me if you need anything,” Mary said, leaning back on her hands against the kitchen counter.

“We’re going to be fine,” Lily assured her. “Have fun with Benjy.”

James waited until they were out of the door, pausing slightly when Mary did a throat slashing gesture to him, before he spoke again. 

“So, her and Benjy are officially a thing now?”

“Close to it at least,” Lily answered. “He’s come around the apartment a few times, and she goes over to his place. They’re always texting too. If she doesn’t make it officially official tonight, I might have to call him myself.”

James smiled. “I wonder if I’ll see her at our family Christmas dinner. We normally invite Benjy’s family too. If they’re a thing by then, I bet he’ll invite her.”

James wondered if he would also be seeing _Lily_ at his family’s Christmas dinner, but he didn’t say that part aloud. He didn’t want to scare her off right away with talk of meeting each other’s parents or spending holidays together. 

Instead, he led her to his car, opening the door and bowing in the slightly ridiculous way he had done at the party that earned him a laugh. It landed again this time.

“Where are we going?” Lily said once they were both in the car. “Mary asked, but I told her it was a surprise.”

“You know the little cafe downtown?” he asked, pulling away from her apartment. “The Three Broomsticks?”

"Yes! It's so cute. We've walked by it a few times but haven't had the chance to go inside." Lily smoothed her skirt over her knees. "Sounds perfect." 

“I’ve never eaten there either, but I made a reservation and got a table by the water outside. Other people I’ve talked to have said it’s amazing.”

“I haven’t eaten at a place that takes reservations since my sister got a table at this tacky brunch place.” 

James blinked. That sounded a bit familiar, but he dismissed the thought. “Yeah?”

Out of the corner of his eye, James could see her make a face. “The Three Broomsticks looks much better than that place, and the weather’s great tonight.”

“There’s also,” he added with great emphasis, “an ice cream shoppe next door that we can walk to for dessert, if you want.”

“I _always_ want dessert.”

He made a mental note to thank Remus for the tip as he watched her face light up at the suggestion. His confidence was steadily increasing. Maybe he wouldn’t totally screw this up after all. 

He could do this. 

He could take Lily Evans out on a date, and not totally flounder it. 

Right?

He’d have to figure it out, because ten minutes later, he was parking in front of the restaurant, looking over at Lily. 

“Ready?” he asked. 

"Ready.” 

She got out of the car and nearly had her hand on his door handle, but he pushed the door open right before she could. "Okay, you win," Lily said. She grinned at him, her eyes holding a laugh she didn't vocalize. 

It was almost like her nerves were disappearing along with his. He noticed the way she briefly brushed her hair out of the way, rather than playing with the ends. She laughed and smiled when he spoke, not just because she didn't know what else to say.

_They_ could do this. 

Before they got to the hostess stand, Lily surprised him again. She slipped her hand into his, the fit of it being as perfect as it was the night of the party. 

“Reservation for Potter,” he told the hostess, who led them to their table immediately. 

He was going to have to add Peter to his list of people to thank for suggesting the cafe, he realized, for the setting was perfect. Garden tables and chairs were scattered on the patio, twinkle lights glowed softly around the railings in the dark with the sound of water running from next to them to top it all off. 

_He_ was about to swoon. 

“Thank you,” he told the hostess once they were seated.

"Wow." Lily put her hands on her lap. "You picked a good place. I'm glad I dressed up a little."

James was aware, not for the first time, of how much he liked having her hand in his. Seeing her look around and take in the impressive display, he decided, was pretty good too. She didn't hide her reactions, letting everything cross her face before meeting his eyes again. 

“My friends actually helped me a bit,” he admitted. “To be honest, I was a nervous wreck trying to decide.”

"Want to know something? I made Mary watch me try on about five different dresses before I made up my mind," she said. Lily moved her chair in closer. "And you saw how I still hadn't decided when you came."

James laughed. “I’m sure you looked great in all five outfits. Sirius actually picked out this shirt,” he said, smoothing it out. “I wonder if our friends think we’re ridiculous.”

"Probably," she answered without hesitation. “He picked well. It brings out your eyes. Remus also told me not to be nervous, but when has that ever made someone less nervous?" 

“He told me the same thing,” he admitted, smiling at her with his chin in his hand. “I’m not so nervous anymore though.” 

It was true, he thought to himself. He wasn’t feeling any first date jitters. Everything felt easy and natural, as if sitting next to Lily and talking about their friends was the simplest thing in the world. 

Even if he was internally melting down over her compliment about his shirt bringing out his eyes. 

"Honestly? Me neither." With another soft smile, Lily looked down at her menu. "Did anyone give you recommendations on what to order?"

“That they did not,” he said, realizing he hadn’t even opened his own menu. “What are you thinking of getting? I’ve had so much McDonald’s lately, I’m not even sure what to order when it comes to real food.”

"College totally messes up what I consider real food," Lily said. She flipped through the menu with one hand. "My mom made meatloaf when I was home one weekend, and I almost cried over how good it was. I almost cried over _meatloaf_." 

“That’s totally understandable though. I mean, have you eaten what’s in our school’s caf?” 

"Not often," she replied. "I tried to get off the meal plan as soon as I could."

“Clever girl.” 

James skimmed the menu and thought he himself might cry out of pure joy when he saw that they had steak. It had been such a long time since he had a good steak and mash that he didn’t need to look further, placing his order eagerly when the waitress came by to fill their water glasses. 

“And for the lovely lady?” the waitress asked, looking at Lily with a small smile. 

"The grilled chicken sandwich," she decided, "with fries." Lily handed over her menu and looked across the table to James. "I'll even let you have some, if you're nice."

“I’m always nice, Evans,” he told her, feeling rather brave. 

"Fry privileges are a high bar." Lily put an elbow on the table to lean a little closer to him. "You already tried to steal some of mine at the library."

James laughed. “The cheek on you, Evans. Don’t put up bars for me to easily knock them down now. I’m pretty good at it.”

"You did know to bring sweet and sour sauce without being asked…" Lily looked like she was considering this for a moment. "I guess you can have a _few_ of my fries. As long as I can have a taste of your ice cream."

“Deal,” he said, casting her a wink. He was certain the blush that spread across her features in that moment was going to _ruin_ him. 

His mouth suddenly felt dry, and he swallowed a drink of water, careful to drink it slowly so he didn’t choke. The last thing he needed to do was to break his smooth cover with a choking fit all because he couldn’t drink a simple glass of water like a normal person. 

There was still a distinct chill in the air, but James felt hot and wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he was close enough to notice the freckles scattered across her face. They were so lightly dusted, he realized for the first time how close they were for him to be able to see them. 

“I like your freckles,” he said aloud because he felt like it was something that needed to be said. “They’re really cute.”

"Thank you," Lily answered, bringing her fingers up to hover over them. "Did I already tell you about your eyes? Because I do, I mean, like them."

Despite the way the sight of those freckles made him tongue-tied, he wondered if he would get the chance to touch her cheek. His hand twitched at the thought. 

“Are you kidding me? Have you seenyour eyes? My eyes are just brown. A simple, plain brown. I’ve never seen eyes of your color before.”

"They are not." Lily moved her chair toward the table, deliberately meeting his eyes. "There's brown, sure, but there's also green and some gold and this almost honey color. They don't look the same twice." She swallowed, as if noticing how much closer she moved to him. "I don't think they're plain at all."

James wasn’t sure what to say about her earnest display of affection for his eyes. No one had ever complimented him on his eyes before. Mostly, they were hidden behind his glasses, so he was surprised she could see such a kaleidoscope of colors in them. 

He ought to say something, ought to compliment her _back,_ but anything else felt like it paled in comparison to how she had described him. 

Luckily, his lack of words was covered up for quickly by the waitress returning with their food. He made a mental note to tip her well for that sole fact in itself. 

“Enjoy,” she told them before walking away. 

“Is it good?” James asked as Lily happily placed a fry in her mouth. 

"Mhm," she confirmed, nodding and putting her hand over her mouth while she chewed. "You can usually judge a whole menu by their fries." Lily picked up another, but she held it out to offer to him. "See for yourself?"

“Hmm,” he hummed, not moving to take a bite. Instead he looked her directly in the eye, smirking just slightly in a way his mother would tell him to wipe off his face. “Have I been good enough for fry privileges?”

He saw the moment when the corner of her mouth ticked upward. 

"I don't know," Lily said, lowering her fry to dip in the ketchup on her plate. "Do you think so?"

“I stand by the statement that I’m always good.” He snatched one off her plate before she could say anything, quickly putting it in his mouth. “If you can judge a place by their fries, then my steak is going to be amazing, because that fry was perfect.” 

"And if you can judge a date by their food snatching," she said, though her grin took away any chastisement in her tone, "my plate is never going to be safe." 

“So you’re saying I have a chance at a second date?”

He could have sworn that her eyes moved down to his lips, but they were back on his so quickly that he couldn't be sure. 

"That depends," Lily said. "Were you going to ask for one?"

“Yes,” he said boldly. “I’d like to have the chance to take you out again. Assuming you’re okay with it.”

Lily cast her eyes down. The twinkling lights caught her expression and the way her mouth was certainly turned up. If anyone else could see this snapshot, he was sure they would agree that things were going well. "I think I'd -"

"Is everything good here?" The waitress topped off their water glasses from a pitcher and dropped a few extra napkins on the table without having to be asked. "Anything I can get you?"

Lily’s head snapped up like she came to a sudden realization.

In a moment, the photograph he wanted to capture was gone. She was still beautiful, still the same Lily who smiled over her plate at him, but something shifted.

"Where's your bathroom?" Lily asked. 

The waitress gestured as Lily nodded and grabbed her small purse. Her eyes skipped over him as if she couldn’t quite meet his gaze. "I'll, um, I'll be right back.” 

She stood and disappeared before he could see in which direction she took.

Then he was alone at their table, wondering if he had perhaps come off a bit too strong. Things had seemed as if they were going so well. When he asked her about the possibility of a second date, the timing hadn’t seemed off at the moment. 

Now that he was sitting alone, he was beginning to wonder if he misjudged things entirely. She practically ran to the bathroom instead of answering him. 

Had he overstepped?

His thoughts were shaken again, this time quite literally, by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. When he pulled it out, he frowned, thrust into another subject he had been overthinking lately. 

Val sent him a text.

He spent a good portion of yesterday evening feeling wretched that he was suddenly jealous that Val had a date that wasn’t with him. 

Part of him blamed Padfoot for making him face his feelings. Part of him blamed himself for being too stupid to see them. 

He didn’t want to think about her on his date with Lily, so he tried his best to shove her out of his mind for the day. It was hard, but he had managed up until her name was flashing on his screen. 

He couldn’t leave her hanging. He wasn’t shitty enough of a person not to be a good friend. 

_Val: sos I'm kind of freaking out_

**Me: What’s up?**

_Val: you're probably on your date with class girl and I'm so sorry if you are_

_Val: but I think I really like him, Prongs_

_Val: what do I do??_

James blinked down at his phone. Val was on her date too. Somewhere, probably close by, she was on a date with another guy. 

And she _liked_ the guy. 

He tried to swallow his selfish feelings, tasting acid as he did so. 

**Me: You’re on your date right now?**

**Me: Does he know you’re texting someone?**

**__** _Val: yes I'm on my date, no he doesn't know I'm texting_

_Val: if someone asks you on a date and you want to go, you should say yes, right?_

_Val: even if there is someone else you might like?_

Wildly, he couldn’t help but think, _Is it me? Am I the other person you might like?_ He wanted to ask, but couldn’t bring himself to do so. 

He couldn’t make things even more confusing for her.

**Me: Has he already asked you out again?**

**Me: If you want to go you should**

**Me: Unless the other guy has expressed interest and you want to see how that goes**

**__** _Val: he asked me and I wanted to say yes_

_Val: the other guy probably doesn't even think about me like that. He likes another girl._

**Me: Say yes then**

**Me: There’s no harm in a second date**

**Me: The other guy sounds kind of dumb anyway if he likes someone else**

**__** _Me: you think so?_

**Me: Definitely**

**__**_Pot meet kettle,_ James thought, snorting. Oh, he was a wretched person. He had just asked Lily out on a second date himself.

Who was he to be jealous of Val getting asked out on her own… second date?

He froze. 

It couldn’t be. 

He quickly sent another text, watching her chat bubble disappear as she read it. 

**Me: How does he not know that you’re texting right now?**

**Me: Did you go hide somewhere?**

**__** _Val: I freaked out and might be spiraling in the bathroom_

_Val: such a catch, right?_

Val was hiding in a bathroom.

Lily had escaped to the bathroom.

**Me: Where did he take you to eat?**

**__** _Val: what does it matter?_

_Val: he's sitting out there, probably wondering wtf is going on_

_Val: I have to figure out what I'm going to say to him_

**Me: Just humor me for a moment**

**Me: I need to know the guy’s taste so I can help you better decide if a second date is worth it**

**__** _Val: we’re at a cute little place downtown_

_Val: everything was going really well until I panicked_

**Me: A cute little place downtown tells me nothing**

**Me: There are lots of cute little places downtown**

**__** _Val: ???_

_Val: are you really trying to win our contest right now?_

_Val: my chicken sandwich has nothing to do with whether I should go out with him again_

James looked down at his phone and then at the half-eaten chicken sandwich Lily left behind.

It couldn’t be. 

Could it?

**Me: I’m trying to help you**

**Me: I mean if he took you a place like the Hogs Head then I’d say don’t even attempt a second date**

**Me: He didn’t take you there did he?**

**__** _Me: if he took me to a dive bar, we wouldn't be having this conversation_

_Me: it's a little cafe by the water, okay?_

_Me: how are you hiding your texting from your date?_

A little cafe by the water. 

In that moment, the sound of water next to him was becoming deafening. It quickly changed from a trickling stream to a crashing wave inside his head. 

Because Val was Lily. 

Lily was Val. 

He had been flirting with Val, who was Lily, and also flirting with Lily, who was Val. He had been feeling completely awful about being torn between two girls when in reality… 

Lily was Val, and Val was Lily. 

Lily and Val were the same person. 

But did that also mean that…?

**Me: Okay rude this isn’t about me**

**Me: But I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest here**

**Me: Am I the other guy you like?**

Seconds moved by slowly while the text sat unanswered. James looked up, but Lily wasn't coming back to their table yet. 

She had to send him something.

_Val: I'm such an idiot_

_Val: I should go_

_Val: have fun with class girl_

It was him. 

She liked him. 

Both sides of him. 

And she didn’t even know it.

**Me: Wait!**

**Me: Please don’t go yet**

**Me: I know this isn’t the best way to ask you but**

**Me: You really like the guy you’re on a date with?**

**__** _Val: yes_

_Val: I really like him_

It took everything within him not to jump on the table out of pure joy. 

Because she _liked_ him.

She didn’t run off because she didn’t want to go on another date with him. She liked him, and she was confused because she liked Prongs too. 

But she didn’t know he was Prongs. 

He could tell her. He probably _should_ tell her. 

But there was a part of him - that awful prankster side of him - that wanted to let this play out a bit farther. A part of him that didn’t want to share that information yet. 

**Me: I think you should go on a second date with him**

**__** _Val: you think so?_

**Me: I do**

**__** _Val: okay then_

_Val: thanks_

_Val: have a good night_

**Me: You too Val**

He knew she was likely a bit hurt and confused at being outright asked if she liked Prongs, but he had to know. He had to make certain that the other guy who had been his competition, the other guy who he had been jealous of, was himself.He couldn’t go through with what he was planning in his head if it was someone else. 

He hoped she wasn’t too upset when she returned to the table. 

When he looked up the next moment, she was already walking back towards him.

Instead of stopping by her chair, she continued until she was standing beside him. Lily had a blazing look in her eyes, which made it impossible to look away from her. 

"Yes," she said, putting a hand on his cheek. James was already looking up at her, so it fell into place easily. "I want to go on a second date with you." 

Then, she bent and her lips touched his, soft and warm and wonderful. The kiss was short and sweet, but he felt it all the way to his toes.

"Can you get us a box?" Lily asked, pulling away slightly. "I want to get ice cream."

“Of course,” he told her, grinning. “I’ll get you as many scoops as you’d like.” 

Tomorrow, he would text as Prongs to apologize for the way he asked her about her feelings tonight. Tomorrow he would also ask her for forgiveness when he broke the rules of their bet. 

But tonight he would be James and she would be Lily.

They had a date to finish.


	10. Now You're in My Way

**Group Chat: Get Ready Lads**

**_Prongs has changed the name to Detective Prongs Solves Another One_ **

**Prongs: ...there has been a development**

**_Wormtail: what happened?_ **

** Padfoot: I only hear one set of footsteps **

**Padfoot: You didn't bring Evans home**

Moony: I think what Sirius means is...

Moony: How did your date go, James?

**** **Prongs: It was great**

**Prongs: Amazing**

**Prongs: Wonderful**

**Prongs: I’m going to marry this girl**

**_Wormtail: wow that good?_ **

** Padfoot: Gag  **

**Padfoot: Nothing against Evans but I’m still hopeful for Team Val**

Moony: Oh Sirius. 

**** **Prongs: Then I think you’ll be happy with this development Pads**

**Prongs: Lily is Val**

**_Wormtail: what???_ **

Moony: If you all heard a worrying thump, don't be too worried. 

Moony: Sirius just fell out of bed.

**Padfoot: dbdjdb**

**** **Prongs: Did you break the floor Pads?**

**Prongs: That was a pretty big crash**

Moony: I don't think anything is broken.

** Padfoot: WHAT DO YOU MEAN LILY IS VAL?  **

**Padfoot: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DROP THAT PIECE OF INFO SO CASUALLY**

Moony: Okay, wait. Let’s back it up. 

Moony: How do you know she’s Val? 

Moony: Did you guys reveal yourselves tonight? 

_****_ _**Wormtail: Lol that sounds so wrong** _

Moony: That is obviously not what I meant. 

_****_ _**Wormtail: I can hear Sirius giggling** _

**Prongs: No we didn’t reveal ourselves**

**Prongs: I am a great detective**

** Padfoot: Lol okay but what actually happened? **

**** **Prongs: Okay okay**

**Prongs: The short version is that I asked her on a second date in the middle of our first**

** Padfoot: Sounds like you **

Moony: Omg Prongs. Patience is a virtue. 

**** **Prongs: But we were interrupted by the waitress**

**Prongs: So she excused herself to the restroom**

**_Wormtail: As one does_ **

**Prongs: And while she was gone I got a text from Val saying that she was spiraling in a restaurant bathroom bc she really liked her date and wanted to go out with him again**

**_Wormtail: wait she texted you about you?_ **

**Prongs: After a few more questions I sort of figured out that Val is Lily**

**Prongs: And Lily is Val!**

** Padfoot: So you just asked her? **

**Padfoot: And she told you?**

**** **Prongs: She told me enough**

**Padfoot: Damn Prongs you WOULD fall in love with the same girl twice**

**__** **_Wormtail: classic prongs_ **

**Padfoot: Know what this means?**

**Padfoot: I WAS RIGHT**

**Padfoot: TEAM VAL**

Moony: Excuse me, I was right??

Moony: He's going on a second date with Lily.

**Padfoot: Who is also Val**

**** **Prongs: Okay okay**

**Prongs: Everyone calm down**

**Prongs: Here’s the other thing…**

**Prongs: She doesn’t know that I know that she’s Val**

** Padfoot: wtf **

**__** **_Wormtail: um_ **

Moony: … James. Why doesn’t she know? 

Moony: WHY would you not tell her? 

**** **Prongs: I wanted to let this play out for a bit?**

Moony: JAMES 

**Padfoot: BOLD**

**__** **_Wormtail: This feels like a bad idea_ **

**** **Prongs: Oh and the other other thing**

**Prongs: Both of the boys Val was confused about?**

**Prongs: They're both me**

**_Wormtail: ???_ **

** Padfoot: ??? **

Moony: ???

**** **Prongs: Val likes Prongs**

**Prongs: Lily likes James**

**Prongs: LADS, THEY'RE BOTH ME**

** Padfoot: You have to have the most luck of any idiot in the world **

**Padfoot: How do these things always work out for you??**

Moony: What is your "plan" with not telling her?

_****_ _**Wormtail: wouldn't she be happy?** _

Moony: You should at least tell Val that you know.

**** **Prongs: Don't worry mom**

**Prongs: I’m going to tell Val tomorrow**

**Prongs: I’m also going to break the rules of our bet**

**_Wormtail: What are you talking about?_ **

Moony: I’m getting a headache. 

**** **Prongs: So the deal was if one of us figured it out we would reveal**

**Prongs: The loser buys the winner McDonald’s**

** Padfoot: Yes yes **

**__** **_Wormtail: Like any proper bet_ **

**** **Prongs: But I’m going to tell her I know who she is**

**Prongs: And make her figure out who I am without telling her**

Moony: I'd like to say I'm going to sleep, but Sirius is not going to put his phone down.

** Padfoot: Right you are, Moons **

**Padfoot: And what does she win when she does?**

**** **Prongs: The fact that both of the boys she likes are the same person?**

** Padfoot: You’re the prize? **

**Padfoot: Very bold lol**

**_Wormtail: It’s not going to be enough_ **

Moony: You’re more likely to piss her off. 

**Padfoot: I love it.**

**Padfoot: I support this whole idea.**

Moony: Of course you do.

**** **Prongs: Okay okay**

**Prongs: I’m probably going to have to atone for awhile after she figures it out**

**Prongs: But I can't let an opportunity like this go**

** Padfoot: It's too good **

Moony: You better be the best boyfriend ever, Prongs.

**Padfoot: better than me??**

Moony: Absolutely.

**Padfoot: ):**

**_Wormtail: Alexa play literally anything_ **

**Prongs: Don't worry**

**Prongs: I plan on being such a good boyfriend ;)**

Moony: Why does that sound like a threat? 

Moony: Prongs? 

_****_ _**Wormtail: I can hear him laughing** _

Moony: Dammit.

\-- 

Lily hardly slept last night. For once, though, she didn't really mind.

There was some old advice about waiting a certain amount of time after a date to call, but Lily didn’t remember it. At the end of their date last night, she was sure that she wanted a second. James, luckily, hadn't even made her wait until the end of their first to ask.

Once she started to let go of some of the guilt attached to liking two boys at once, it became obvious.

She liked James.

She liked him a lot.

She liked his laugh and how he pushed up his glasses when they moved down his nose. She liked his sincerity and the way that his attention made her feel like the only person in the room. She liked that she didn't have to wonder what he thought about her because he said it.

That morning, she wasn't nervous to message him first thing when she woke up, asking if he wanted to come over to study. Lily already reviewed for the quiz on Monday, but it didn't matter.

She wanted to see him.

And he said yes.

"So," Lily said, reaching across the table for his hand, "are you actually rubbish at Bio? Or did you want an excuse to talk to me after class?"

“Why can’t it be both?” James asked, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I’m a great multitasker, you know.” 

Lily ran her thumb over his knuckles. "Now we need to make you good enough at Bio to get in the advanced section next semester." 

James laughed. “If you could get me into advanced Bio next semester, my mother would _die._ She’d absolutely love you for it.” 

Her heart skipped at the thought of meeting his mother. As if he already thought of that possibility. 

She grinned, feeling a little silly and smitten. "Unless you don't need that excuse to talk to me anymore."

“I’ll find a thousand other excuses to talk to you.”

"Is she one of those moms who wants you to be a doctor or lawyer?” Lily asked, curious. Once she confirmed to herself that she wanted to spend time with him, she wanted to know more about him. “Because I started studying for the MCAT and don't wish it on anyone." 

“She wants me to be happy, mostly,” he told her, smiling at her fondly. “And I think I’m already that.”

That made her heart beat wildly and rendered Biology very uninteresting. 

Lily put down her pen, though she hadn't truly been looking over her notes for some time. "Do we need a study break?"

“Sounds good to me.” He stood, stretching his hands over his head. “Want to watch a movie?” 

"Sure," Lily said, closing her textbook. "You should know that I can be rubbish at paying attention to them. You won't be distracting, will you?"

“I make no promises,” he said, grinning. Reaching for the remote, he turned the television on. “Guess I’ll have to pick something good enough to resist distractions. What about _Pride and Prejudice_?”

Lily started at this, playing with her hair to try to hide it. 

She watched that movie with Prongs not too long ago, but she doesn’t know how to tell James that. She probably shouldn't tell James that.

"That's on Netflix now." Lily took his other hand to tug him onto the couch next to her. "I've already seen it, so maybe I canbe distracted." 

There. 

That wasn’t a total lie. She had seen the movie. She didn’t need to tell him that she watched it with another boy.

It didn’t matter now.

For good measure, she dropped his arm around her shoulders.

Did Mary feel like this when she fell in love with someone quickly? It was thrilling and scary, like a new roller coaster, with the desire to see how far it would go. 

“I don’t know,” he said. Two of his fingers began to draw circles on her shoulder, the motion making her eyes flutter shut. She was already well distracted before the movie started. This wasn’t going to help. “Mr. Darcy is pretty swoon worthy. Though I’m more of a Bingley guy myself.”

Her eyes flew open at his words. 

Why did that sound familiar?

"Bingley is sweet," Lily said, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that she was missing something, "but Darcy uses everything that happens to become a better person. That's what makes him swoon worthy." She let her head fall to his shoulder and nestled into the spot by his side. "Lizzy calls him out and then he does all these great things to show her who he is."

“Is that your type then? Socially awkward men who want to be a better person for the girl they love? Because that may actually be me.”

They were talking about the movie. 

The same movie she watched with Prongs not that long ago.

But that was decidedly not a date. 

Did this, she wonder, count as one? He asked her for another date and she said yes, but she was the one who invited him to her apartment. In the span of one night, did they cross from _going on dates_ to _dating_ without mentioning it?

No matter what this was, she shouldn't be thinking about Prongs when James was sitting next to her. She wanted him to be there. She invited him not because she was heartbroken over someone else but because she didn't want to wait to see him again. 

Regardless, Prongs had his own date last night, and she had hers. That was why he hadn't texted her since. That was why she didn't check her phone for his name.

"You? My type?" Lily tilted her chin back to look up at him. "Where would you get that impression? And who is this girl you love, anyway? I know we haven't gone on our second date yet, but should I be jealous?"

“Oh, you don’t know her?” James asked, leaning down to nuzzle her nose with his. “She’s smart. Kind. Verypretty. So pretty that it makes it hard for me to think. _And_ she’s great at Bio. She’s the whole package. I’m hoping she’ll say yes to me when I ask her if she wants to go on our second date this weekend.”

That effectively pushed anyone who wasn't James out of her mind.

"She sounds too good to be true." With their faces so close together, she didn't need to speak loudly. He would be able to hear every quiet word and possibly even the beating of her heart. "But I think she'll say yes."

Lily didn't usually fall for someone like this, headfirst and all at once. She liked to think over her decisions and plan. 

This time, her heart tore off the brakes. The movie continued, but it was background noise to the one playing out with her as a main character.

“You think so?” His nuzzling continued, moving farther down so when he spoke it was against the corner of her mouth. 

"You don't know," she nearly whispered, her breath catching, "until you ask."

“Hmm,” he mused, seemingly thinking this over. She had never been this distracted by a boy. She had never had this good of a reason to be. His lips were so close, all she’d have to do would be to lean in slightly. “Do you - “

The slamming of a door against the wall brought Lily harshly down into reality and crashing onto the floor. 

“Oh my _god,”_ Mary groaned loudly. “You would not believe all the people at -" Mary stopped, looking them over and blinking. “What are you doing on the floor, Lily?” 

"Ow," she replied unhelpfully. Her elbow throbbed dully where she hit it at some point in her fall. Lily sat up and inspected her elbow, satisfied that it would only be a bruise in a few days. "I didn't mean to be. I was on the couch until you came in."

“Do you always open the door that hard?” James asked, sprawled out on the couch. “How do you not have a hole in your wall?”

Mary's eyes went to James. Her entire posture changed with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips. "I can patch a hole. What are you kids up to?"

“Watching a movie?” James said though it came off as a question. 

"Studying," Lily answered at the same time.

“Oh my god,” Mary said, laughing. “I’m clearly interrupting something.” She went back to the door, yelling down at someone. “Hey, Benjy! Come up here! We’re interrupting something!”

Quickly, Lily managed to get herself back on the couch, though not as close to James as she was. Benjy stepped into the room, grocery bags in his hands. He closed the door behind him gently with his foot. 

"What is it?" Benjy kissed Mary's cheek, though Lily could tell they had only been apart for a short time.

They were lucky they were cute.

"James and I were taking a break from studying," Lily said. She pointed to the abandoned bags and textbooks by the table.

Benjy's brows rose but he didn't say anything.

“Right. Study breaks are so important.” Mary laughed as Lily’s eyes went to her. “Relax, I’ve taken many a study break.” She looked at Benjy appreciatively before shaking her head. “Anyway, we brought groceries.”

There was something lovely, Lily had to admit, about Mary having someone who wanted to wake up early and get groceries with her. They were still in the sparkly and new stage of their relationship, but it wasn't only that.

They _worked._

"Supplies were getting a little low," Lily acknowledged. "Did you get more of the popcorn I like?" 

"Of course," Benjy said. "Mary made me go back specifically for it."

“Anything for my girl,” said Mary, winking at Lily. “You wouldn’t believehow many people were there this morning. The audacity! Just standing around in aisles as if -"

Lily rolled her eyes, smiling as Mary disappeared into the kitchen, dragging Benjy by the arm, her rant following behind her. Her voice drifted in and out, along with a few expletives, as cabinets opened and shut. Lily hoped her popcorn wouldn’t be on the receiving end of a poorly shut cabinet door. 

“Who knew grocery shopping could be such a war zone?” commented James.

"Mary doesn't like when people wander the store aimlessly," she replied, sitting back on the couch and moving a few inches closer to him. "A few weeks ago, I had to stop in for something before class, and I could hear her in my head, grumbling about the guy who kept shuffling in front of me. Actually…" She picked up his hand to intertwine her fingers with his again. "It was the day you saved me a spot in Bio because I was running late."

“Oh yeah. I remember that. What did you end up having to get again?”

"It was a long story," Lily said, "but it ended up with me having to get Jello for something other than shots at a party."

He seemed to consider this, smiling as if he totally understood. Which she knew he didn’t. He couldn’t, because he wasn’t… someone she wasn’t thinking about right now. 

“Very important question,” he said, leaning in as his features grew serious. “What flavor did you end up getting?”

"Cherry," she answered, relaxing a bit. "Though I didn't really end up eating it."

“Too bad. Cherry is the best flavor.”

Lily glanced toward the TV, remembering that they had initially decided to watch a movie. "It’s Darcy's first proposal. What could go wrong?"

“Let’s get ready to swoon at his lack of judgement,” James said, pulling his phone out at the next second and frowning. Lily leaned over, a picture of a cartoon rat lighting up his screen. “Shoot, it’s Peter. Is it okay if I step outside and take this? I’m sort of ‘on call’ for all his Peter questions since I ditched him the other day.”

Peter. She hadn't met him yet. She remembered him mentioning another friend in their house but didn't know much more about him. 

"You ditched him? That doesn't sound like you," Lily answered, half-teasing. 

“Something very important came up. It couldn’t be helped, but don’t worry.” He held up the phone which started vibrating again. “I’m paying for it now.”

"Go ahead and answer it. Make sure you use the latch so you don't get locked out."

“Fair warning,” he said, standing. “Peter can be kind of long winded.”

"Sure." She waved him toward the door. "I'll be here."

He gave her a parting smile before stepping outside, closing the door behind him. 

It took Lily a moment to realize that the apartment was quiet, save for the movie playing. She wondered faintly whether Benjy and Mary had retired to her bedroom and thought of sending Mary a quick ‘please don’t sleep with your boyfriend while I’m obviously here’ text. Before she could, her phone buzzed of its own accord. 

When she looked down at the name, she nearly dropped it. 

**Prongs: Hey**

**Prongs: Do you have a minute so we can talk?**

Between now and their last conversation, so much had happened. They didn't end on the best note, but they didn't have a true fight, either.

She wasn't sure where they stood.

She wasn't sure where she _wanted_ them to stand.

_Me: yeah, I have a minute_

_Me: what's up?_

**Prongs: I wanted to say I was sorry for last night**

**Prongs: It wasn’t cool of me to ask you about your feelings on the spot like that**

**__** _Me: it's fine_

Her thumbs hovered over the phone, conflicted. It would be easier to leave it at that. 

Wasn't the special part of their friendship, though, the fact that she could tell him what she was really thinking?

_Me: I mean idk if it is_

_Me: I feel like such an idiot_

_Me: but it's fine_

_Me: does that make any sense?_

**Prongs: It does**

**Prongs: You’re definitely not an idiot**

**Prongs: But I was definitely a jerk**

**Prongs: And I just**

**Prongs: I value our friendship so much Val and I hope I wasn’t stupid enough to mess it up**

**__** _Me: I'll be okay_

_Me: how did things go with class girl?_

**Prongs: They went well but I don't want to talk about that right now**

**Prongs: I want to talk about something else**

**Prongs: Something sort of important**

**__** _Me: okay_

_Me: what do you want to talk about?_

**Prongs: ...you have to promise you’re not going to be mad at me.**

**__** _Me: famous last words_

_Me: probably depends what it is_

_Me: so what if I say I'll try very hard not to be? 0:)_

**Prongs: I guess that’s the best I can hope for right now**

**Prongs: So our bet…**

**__** _Me: does it make you uncomfortable now? we can call it off_

**Prongs: No it’s not that**

**Prongs: It’s not that at all**

**__** _Me: what is it?_

**Prongs: Okay so**

**Prongs: There’s really no easy way to say this so I’m just going to come right out with it**

**Prongs: I figured out who you are**

**__** _Me: you did?? how??_

In a mild panic, she scrolled through the last day of messages quickly. Was there something she said to give herself away? The only thing that stood out was her conversation from the bathroom, and she didn't want to relive that right now.

James could come in at any moment.

**Prongs: I am a great detective**

**__** _Me: um okay_

_Me: how do we do this? how do we know you actually know?_

**Prongs: What? Do you not believe me?**

**__** _Me: you could be guessing wrong_

_Me: or this could be a strategy to get me to lose!_

**Prongs: Okay Evans ;)**

That stopped everything.

He knew. He _really_ knew.

_Me: damn_

_Me: who should I venmo for mcd's?_

**Prongs: Actually about that…**

**Prongs: Keep your McDonald’s money**

**Prongs: I’m changing the rules of the bet**

**__** _Me: what??_

_Me: how so?_

_Me: my budget is mcd's_

**Prongs: You don’t have to buy me anything**

**Prongs: What I want instead is for you to come find me :)**

**__** _Me: find you? you want me to figure it out?_

**Prongs: Yes exactly**

**Prongs: I want you to figure out who I am**

**__** _Me: omg you’re kidding_

_Me: you won_

**Prongs: I know I did**

**Prongs: I am a great detective afterall**

**__** _Me: so why do you want me to figure it out myself?_

**Prongs: Bc I think it will be more fun this way ;)**

**__** _Me: you’re the worst_

_Me: but okay_

_Me: I’ll play your game_

_Me: I’ll figure it out_

_Me: you can’t be that hard to find_

**Prongs: One would think ;)**

**Prongs: See you soon Val**

Lily left that one unanswered, deciding she would rather use her time to contemplate some sort of plan than explain the whole saga to James. She put her phone face down on the coffee table. Although she looked at the TV screen, her mind was elsewhere.

Their campus wasn’t that large. Prongs could be several people, but the list still had to be short. He knew who she was, so it was someone who existed around her at some point. 

He was an only child, had a major crush on a girl in one of his classes, and exercised for fun. 

She tried to tally the information she knew about him, but most of it wasn’t helpful to find a stranger. She had to know details about other people to know if he could be them.

If he could find her, though, she could find him. 

“Hey, sorry about that,” James said, startling her from her thoughts as he came back into the room. “Peter needed more help than I realized.” He stopped, looking at her. “You okay? You look lost in thought.”

“I’m good,” she answered, moving over to give him space on the couch again. She would figure out Prongs’ identity, but she didn’t have to take up time with James to do it. “I told you I couldn’t concentrate during movies. You’re back in time for Darcy’s real proposal.”

“Excellent,” he said, sitting and letting his arm rest across her shoulder once again. “Want to grab dinner after?”

“That depends,” Lily said, settling into his side again. “Is that going to be our second date?”

“It could be. Or it could be a practice date before the second one. I don’t have enough time to book a hot air balloon right now, but if you give me a couple days…”

“No,” she replied, angling her face to press a kiss to the line of his jaw. “Let’s have our second date.” 

Lily wanted, she realized, to get to the point where they weren’t counting dates. First dates were full of nerves and not knowing quite what to do. This, what they had, even if it was new, was easy. She wanted them to be like this.

Maybe Prongs was right. 

Maybe she was a bit of a sap.


	11. Trade My Soul for a Wish

It was hard to keep his head around Lily. 

He hadn’t been lying when he said she was so pretty that she made him stupid, but it was so much more than that now that they had been spending more time together. She was naturally kind in ways that he didn’t know were possible until he met her. She was funny in ways that she did and didn’t mean to be. But most of all, she was smart. 

Far too smart for him. 

He wasn’t sure whether they were officially official yet. They had gone on a total of two dates and spent every day since their first date together in some form. Surely, during all that time together, she must have figured it out for herself, the fact that she was too smart for him. 

Too _everything_ for him. 

She was so animated when she spoke, so enthralled in whatever it was that she was explaining to him, that he didn’t have the heart to tell her such a fact himself. He didn’t have the willpower to ask what she was doing with someone like him when she smiled at him like that, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

She was amazing. 

She was beautiful. 

She was… looking right at him and speaking.

And he was zoned out. 

“Hmm,” he mused, blinking. “Sorry. What was that?”

“Sorry, Evans. I think Jamie is a bit… _distracted,”_ Sirius said, his voice right in James’ ear, causing him to jump. 

“Jesus!” James hissed, shoving him back. “When did you get so close?”

"Oh, I’m just complaining, mostly," Lily answered, giving him an apologetic smile and flipping her hair again in that impossibly distracting way. "Why do Lit professors think I can read and understand a whole novel every week?"

"Sparknotes can be helpful," Remus said. Then, shooting Sirius a look, he added, "As long as you actually _read_ the book too."

“I didn’t even say anything!” Sirius cried. 

“You didn’t have to. I saw the look on your face,” Remus said. “The look you get about being proud of your illiteracy.” 

James looked down at his own unopened pile of textbooks and frowned. They were supposed to be studying for exams. It was the whole reason James had invited Lily, Mary, and Benjy over to their place. 

Well, that, and the fact that he was desperate to spend time with Lily. 

The only things he had been studying so far were the way Lily twirled her pencil and how well she fit in so easily with his group of friends. Almost as if she had always been there. 

He wasn’t sure these facts would get him any credit on his history term paper. 

“I thought when we agreed to have this study group, we’d actually get something done,” grumbled Peter from the floor. “But instead, James has been gawking at Lily, Sirius is staring at Remus, and I’m still failing all of my classes.” 

Mary assessed him with a frown. “He can’t possibly mean that, can he?” she asked, turning toward the group of boys. “Every single class?” 

“Peter is an overachiever,” Sirius said, proudly thumping Peter on the back. 

“Will you stop?” Peter snapped, shoving Sirius’ hand away. “I legit need help over here! I don’t have anyone to gawk at!”

"It's fine, Pete," Benjy said, moving to sit on the floor with him. "I'm sure I can help."

"He can," Mary verified. "I got an A on my Astronomy exam last week because of him. Tell him how you make those memory tricks, babe."

Benjy bent over Peter’s notebook and started to explain.

Lily, meanwhile, smiled fondly at her friend and then peered over at James' untouched pile. "Did you want to go over Bio notes again?"

“Not really,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs for a bit, honestly.”

“James is trying to sneak off to go make out with Evans over here!” Sirius shouted. 

James flushed, hitting his best friend over the head with his Bio book. Which he thought of as grace, considering Lily’s American Lit textbook was within reach. In all reality, yes, he wouldn’t mind a chance to do just that, but the way Sirius said it was so crude. 

Plus, he needed to act out the next phase in his plan. He had convinced Remus - with a fair amount of chocolate - to text Lily as Prongs while James was around to throw her off his trail. Remus didn’t necessarily approve ( _“Isn't the whole point of this madness for her to find you, Prongs?”_ ), but he was well supplied in chocolate, so he didn’t complain too terribly much.

He was the only one James trusted not to be a prick on the phone as Prongs, honestly. 

"Like you don’t wish you thought of it first," Mary said. "Good for you, Lils. Make out breaks are good for morale."

"A break?" Peter nearly whined. "We've barely started."

"Don’t worry. We'll study while they're off, Pete," Benjy said. "I've got a date with Mary after."

“I think a walk sounds nice,” Lily replied, seemingly unaffected by Sirius’ comment. She inclined her head slightly, enough that her eyes went from James to Sirius, wide and innocent. "Unless you'd rather me kiss James here, Sirius?" 

“Please don’t,” Peter mumbled from the floor.

“Who says I wouldn’t mind watching?” Sirius teased, giving her a wink. 

“Maybe later,” Lily said, shrugging and taking it in stride. “We don’t want to be too distracting.”

Sirius finding out that Lily was Val was almost too much for James. He acted so chummy around her now, which wouldn’t bother him normally. His best friend liking her was a good thing. Except for the fact that he acted like they had been friends for much longer than they had, which _James_ knew that they had been. Lily, however, did not. 

He was afraid she was going to catch onto him solely through Sirius. 

Not that he didn’t want Lily to figure it out. Just not so soon. 

He wanted to have a bit of fun first.

“This is not a kink I’m willing to support,” Remus said, his nose scrunching. 

“Me either,” James chimed in. He stood, offering Lily his hand. “Want to go for a walk?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Lily closed her textbook and took his offered hand. 

Mary moved her head in acknowledgment, but her attention was divided between Lily and watching Benjy draw something on Peter’s notes. 

Turning to Remus, Lily added, “I’ll be back in a bit so we can walk to work.”

Remus nodded but kept his eyes on the page in front of him.

Hand in his, Lily tugged James toward the door. 

“Make good choices!” Sirius called behind them.

“Be safe!” added Mary.

It was easy to brush off his embarrassment about his friend’s words as soon as they stepped outside. The crisp air sent a shiver down his spine as he led Lily into the back garden. When they were well enough away from nosy friends and prying eyes, he spun her by their still attached hands, grinning as she shrieked with laughter at the gesture. 

“Hi,” he said, bringing her close and placing his hands on her waist. 

In one motion, she looped her arms over his shoulders and pulled them closer. Nearly toe to toe, James could appreciate the faint sprinkling of freckles over her nose. “Hi,” she replied. “Are you trying to sneak off with me?”

“Am I that obvious?” he asked, nuzzling her nose with his. “I was hoping to steal you away for a bit. I hope that’s okay with you.”

“More than okay.” He could hear the smile in her voice, already familiar to him. “I’ll study later. Remus can go over my Lit outline with me at work.”

“‘I’ll study later’ has always been my motto. Maybe it’s why I’m so rubbish at Bio.” 

“You’re not actually rubbish at Bio,” Lily said. “Or, at least, you’re getting better. I saw the grade on your last quiz. You might even make Dean’s List, Potter.”

The corner of her mouth was distracting him, the way it twitched upward, finding him humorous. He placed a kiss on it. They hadn’t been able to do much exploring in the kissing department. They only shared a few quick kisses here and there since their first date, and even those had been cut short by their friends or timing in general. He was eager to put an end to that now that he was finally alone with her. 

“Studying is boring,” he said, placing a kiss to the tip of her nose and then to her cheek. He had _so much_ to explore. It was intoxicating. “What should we do instead?”

“I have a few ideas,” she said, trying and failing to suppress her giggle. “Since you’re such a quick learner. Maybe…” Lily rolled onto her toes. “You could kiss me again. Properly, this time. So long as you’re careful with my buttons.”

“I think I can manage that…” 

The rest of his words - whatever they were going to be, he still wasn’t sure - were lost as he pressed his lips to her own. 

There was a part of him, nearly too distant to hear, that reminded him not to rush this. Not to press his lips too roughly against Lily’s, because they had plenty of time. Something as sweet as Lily and the tingling of her kisses deserved to be savored, not devoured. 

But it was _hard._

It was so much harder than he thought it would be to kiss her calmly, not to put everything he had into the kiss. While he wanted to, he couldn’t yet. It was too soon for those sorts of things. 

Too soon to let his teeth nip their way down her neck, too soon for anything more heated than a few open mouthed kisses. Anything more than that would likely be confusing to her. Anything more would be rushing. 

And he didn’t want to do that. 

He thought he might have gotten the hang of it, that he might have gotten that feral part of him under control, as he followed her lead, chasing her mouth with his own… 

And then he felt her phone buzz in her back pocket.

“Mmph,” he protested against her mouth. It took him a second to realize that _he_ was the one who asked for the distraction in the first place, so it was unreasonable to be frustrated with Prongs-Remus. 

Unreasonable, but absolutely possible. 

She made a soft, frustrated noise that mirrored his thoughts. 

“I’ll answer it later,” Lily mumbled, so close that he could feel her lips brush against his. She pressed herself against him, as if physical proximity would get them back to where they were before her phone vibrated. This time, she was the one who kissed the corner of his mouth as the beginning of a path to more.

It took a great amount of strength to pull himself away from her enough to speak. “Maybe you should check it. To make sure it’s not an emergency or something.” 

_God,_ why had he thought this would be a good idea? Why hadn’t two hours ago James suspected that current James would be able to make out with Lily during this time instead of playing a stupid, childish prank on her? 

Lily groaned. “It’s just my phone. If it was an emergency, Sirius or Mary would have no problem coming out here and interrupting us.” Her eyes went meaningfully over his shoulder to the house and back to him. “If my apartment’s on fire, they’ll put it out without me and you better let me crash here.”

He nearly let himself get distracted with the thought of Lily staying the night at his place. 

Nearly. 

“Still, I’d feel better if you checked it. Make sure it’s not your parents or something needing you.”

Spending more time with Sirius showed. His dramatics might have been rubbing off on her, because she let her forehead fall onto his shoulder while she lowered her arms and reached for her phone. The screen lit up, but her head hid the message from him. She read it, typed a short reply, and linked her hands behind his neck again, the phone still in one hand. 

“Nothing’s on fire,” she assured him. “No emergencies.”

He smiled, nearly about to lean down to close the distance between them again, when he felt her phone buzz once more. This time, instead of protesting, she pulled back with a growl of annoyance. She made a move to shut it off but not before pausing to read the words flashing across her screen, her brow beginning to knit in confusion. 

**Prongs: Bingley is slightly insufferable in this novel.**

**Prongs: I’ve never really cared for him.**

There was nothing to block his view from the text message this time, so he had front row seats to the mistake Remus made. He told his friend to ask her how her day was going or something along those lines. He never imagined that when he explained that he had checked out the novel of _Pride and Prejudice_ after Val had told him to read it that Remus would _talk to her about it._

He could do that on his own time, couldn’t he? Not right now. Not as Prongs, who had previously professed his love for Bingley’s character. Who had compared _himself_ to Bingley. 

And where did Remus get off anyway? Who didn’t like _Bingley?_

James shook his head. That was not the issue at hand. 

“Everything okay?” James asked when Lily still made no move to put the phone away.

She was distracted, that much was obvious, but this time it wasn’t by a line of kisses from him or his finger tracing a pattern on the back of her hand. Lily stared at the phone screen for another few seconds and shook her head. 

“It’s fine,” she answered. She flicked the notification away with her thumb and put the phone in her back pocket. “Next time, I’ll leave it far, far away.”

“Sounds like whoever it was annoyed you,” he commented, kissing her forehead. 

“Mostly because they have awful timing. They were interrupting my chance to finally be alone with my -” Her sentence ended abruptly, her mouth still open with the end of her last word. Her eyes darted over his face, scanning his features. “I mean, with you. Unless, um, you wanted to talk about...”

“You were about to call me your boyfriend,” he said. He was sure he must have looked positively concerning, the way he was grinning. “Weren’t you?”

“Maybe,” she said, her voice picking up confidence from his reaction. She straightened her shoulders and stood a little taller, making him want to kiss her all over again. “Unless you have any objections or think we should discuss it.”

“No, no,” he said quickly. “James Potter, Lily Evans’ boyfriend. It sounds nice. James and Lily. Lily and James.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “If we had a ship name, would it be Lames?”

“If Sirius picked it,” she answered, her expression starting to match how he pictured his own. “But we could do better. Jamly? Jaly?” She paused in thought. “Jily?”

“Jily,” he repeated. “I like it. It fits.” He nodded to himself before smiling brightly at Lily. “So, Lily Evans, where were we?”

“On a first name basis, at least,” she teased. Lily rocked toward her toes and tilted her head to the side. 

“Don’t take away from my love of your name,” he said. “I’m fond of the whole thing.”

“I think we finally have a little bit of time alone. We wanted to do some of the things boyfriends and girlfriends do. Does that catch us up?”

James leaned in, catching the breath of a laugh against his mouth before she could retort with something clever. His lips curved upwards against hers, his smile refusing to die down just yet. 

He was so _happy._

He didn’t know it was possible to be this happy. It radiated through him, feeling as if it would go on forever. 

And perhaps it would have, had he not had the types of friends he did. 

“Told you!” Sirius’ voice cut through the moment, slicing through it like a knife. “They’re still making out.” 

James groaned, letting his head fall onto Lily’s shoulder. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Well, you’re going to have to do it on your own time.” Remus, apparently, had come to find them too. “Lily has to go to work and can’t stick around for murder right now.”

Lily moved her fingers into his hair indulgently, though her shoulder shook in what he suspected might be a suppressed, traitorous laugh. “Don’t do anything too rash,” she said. “They don’t pay me enough for that kind of bail money.” 

“I already packed up your bag, Lily,” Remus said. “Stocked up on snacks too, so we don’t have to interrupt the boys, who will be very studious while we’re gone.” There was a beat where he likely looked to Sirius. “Won’t you?”

“I’ll think about it,” Sirius replied. 

“Ugh,” groaned James. “Do I have to?” 

“If you want Euphemia to keep paying for us to live here, then yes,” Remus said, taking on the tone of _the mature one._ James rolled his eyes. “You can’t afford to let your grades slip. Literally.” 

“Fine,” he agreed. His eyes widened as he remembered his missing phone. “Oh, did you...?” He trailed off, unsure how to finish the question. 

Thankfully, Remus was always quick to catch on. “Kitchen counter,” he told him. He turned to Lily. “Ready to go?”

“One second,” she said, though she leaned forward to drop a brief kiss on James’ lips. She stopped like she might reconsider but ultimately took a step back. “Now I am.” Lily held out her arm, and Remus handed off her bag. 

Together, they went around the house. For a few seconds until they were too far away, James could hear the murmur of their voices while they walked.

“Not a word,” he told Sirius. 

He didn’t need to look over to see that he was fighting back laughter. 

“James and Lily, sitting in a tree…” Sirius started to sing. 

“Stop!” 

“Oh, you don’t like that version? What about Prongs and Val sitting in a tree - _oof!”_

It had been a while since James and Sirius had a wrestling match. Euphemia strictly prohibited them after a particularly ugly vase of hers got broken. James couldn’t help himself now, tackling Sirius to the ground and trying to get him in a headlock. 

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Sirius continued to sing through hysterical laughter. 

“Shut up!” James hissed, partly in frustration, partly due to the fact that Sirius had gotten the upper hand and flipped them so James was the one with his face to the ground. Sirius cackled again but didn’t lose position.

“I know your better halves left,” a voice called from the back door, “but couldn’t you wait, like… five minutes?” Both of them looked up at the same time to see Mary, her hip popped to one side with a hand on it. 

“Isn’t Fenwick in there to keep you entertained, Macdonald?” Sirius said.

Mary rolled her eyes, which she almost turned into a full body action. “He’s busy teaching your friend how to remember his notes.”

Sirius snorted. “He’ll probably be here all night then.”

“Fenwick is too nice,” grumbled James. He shoved Sirius roughly. “Will you get off me?” 

“This is the closest we’ve been in months,” Sirius pouted. “And you want me to just… get up?”

“Oh, shut up,” said James, standing and dusting himself off. “We spend _too much_ time together.” He rotated his arm, wincing. “Dammit, Pads. I think you dislocated my shoulder.” 

“Isn’t this charming,” Mary commented drily.

“It’s not my fault you’re weak, Prongs. If anything, I should be upset over the grass stains on my jeans, but you don’t hear me whining.”

“Excuse me,” Mary said, cutting across both of them. She must have only taken one step forward, but her voice felt closer. “Sirius Black, what did you just call him?”

Sirius seemed to have realized his mistake, his eyes darting to James quickly. “Um, I called him... Tongs?” 

James smacked his forehead. 

_Idiot._

“No,” Mary said deliberately. “You called him Prongs. That’s the name of -” She cut herself off, putting a hand to her mouth. Her attention went to James. “That’s _you_?” 

James grimaced, unsure of what to do. There was no running from it. “Guilty?” 

“Oh, but that’s brilliant! I have to tell her that -” Mary appeared to have another realization, her face registering her shock, but too many things were happening at once. “I mean -”

“No, no, no!” James said quickly, moving to step in front of her. “You can’t tell her! At least, not right now.”

“Wait, you _know_? You know she’s Lily, and you’re not -” Mary’s eyes narrowed. “Why?” Her expression, coupled with the suspicion in her voice, made James fully aware that Mary might be smaller than him, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. “Are you messing with her? I swear, Potter, if you hurt Lily, I _will_ hurt you.”

“No, you’ve got the wrong idea, I swear!” James promised, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m not messing with her. At least, not in a way that will get her hurt. I figured out she was Val on our first date.”

Skepticism entered Mary’s features. “Then I’d think you’d be thrilled,” she said. “My best friend, one of the best people on the planet, has a crush on two boys, and they’re both _you_? That’s, like, the ultimate ego boost. Why don’t you, I don’t know, _tell her_? Isn’t it weird for her to be talking to you about… you?”

“Well, she doesn’t really talk to Prongs about James anymore. Mostly, she spends her time trying to figure out who I am now.” 

James groaned, running a hand through his hair. He felt incredibly stupid saying all of this aloud. 

“He isn’t telling her yet, because he wants her to figure out who Prongs is on her own,” Sirius cut in, and James gave him a grateful look. “Lily knows Prongs knows who she is. But she doesn’t know who Prongs is.” 

“Why?” Mary repeated. “What happens when she figures it out?” 

James blinked. 

His first reaction was to say that she would be happy. It was what he expected when he decided to go this route. 

She’d be happy that James and Prongs were the same person, right? 

But what if she wasn’t?

“Then… she gets me,” he said finally. “James, Prongs. They’re both me.”

“Right.” Mary studied him. She let the moment sit until it was almost uncomfortable. “If you have any shot of pulling this off, you’re going to need my help. If you want it, though, you have to promise me a few things.” 

“Of course,” James said quickly. 

She took the hand off her hip and crossed her arms. “If this becomes more than a game, if Lily starts telling you secrets or making decisions because she thinks you’re someone else, it’s over. If you break up or fight or whatever, you don’t get to use Prongs to get in the middle of it or bother her. This is a fun little scavenger hunt, and _Lily_ comes first. You got that, Potter?”

“I know that. I honestly wouldn’t do anything to hurt her,” he said earnestly. “I just want her to… find me for herself, I guess. I promise you, I like Lily so much. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I would never use this stupid prank to hurt her.”

“Gag,” said Sirius. “Do I still need to be here for this?”

Mary turned to Sirius. James could physically feel the weight of her gaze lift. “You made us sit through you butchering an epic poem about Remus’ _cardigans_ ,” she said. “Plus, you knew about this, so you deserve what you get.” 

Sirius rolled his eyes, but it was clear that he met something of his match in Mary. Every protective instinct that he had for James, Mary had for Lily. Their expressions to each other weren’t quite _friendly,_ but James would swear that there was a healthy dose of mutual respect.

“I’m in,” Mary said, looking over to James. “You need some kind of plan, though, or you’re going to tell her by accident any day now.”

Mary turned, flicking her hair back over her shoulder before heading back to the house with purpose.

“I’m not going to tell her on accident…” James muttered after her, keeping his voice low so she wouldn’t hear him.

As thankful as he was for Mary on his side, she scared him a bit. He hoped he wasn’t making a rash decision, asking Lily to come find him. Keeping the information from her.

Surely she’d be happy he was Prongs. Surely she’d find the humor in it all.

Wouldn't she?


	12. Pennies and Dimes

“Macdonald,” Lily said, opening the door to their apartment, “we have some work to do.”

“Hm?” 

Mary was sprawled on the couch, an abandoned novel on her stomach to hold her place while she scrolled through her phone. She scooted up to lean her back against the arm and looked to the front door.

“We need to figure out who Prongs is.”

“Prongs?” Mary looked surprised for a moment but quickly smoothed over her features. “The guy you’re texting?”

“Yes,” Lily said, dropping her bag by the door and tugging the ponytail out of her hair. “He can’t be that hard to find. I know he’s on campus.”

“Why do you want to figure out who he is?”

“What do you mean, _why?_ When have you ever known me to be okay with not knowing something?” 

“Isn’t some of the fun in texting a random wrong number the mystery behind it all though? I mean, you can’t find that in any other relationship, right?”

Lily crossed the room and pushed Mary’s feet so she could sit on the end of the couch. “It was a fun mystery, at first,” Lily said, “but then it got complicated.” 

“Complicated how?” Mary asked.

“For one thing, I got all those… _feelings._ They made everything so confusing before my date with James. Then I went out with James, and everything… Everything is _good_. So good. What if I missed that? I don’t want to miss something else because I’m confused and don’t know who this guy is. And for another…” Lily looked over at her. “He kind of already figured out who I am.”

“ _Whaaat?”_ Mary said, drawing the word out so it sounded unnaturally high pitched. Lily knitted her brow. “No way! He knows who you are? I just - I can’t believe that! How even - are you sure?”

“Um, considering he told me that he knows and used my last name?” Lily said, eyeing her friend suspiciously. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Mary said, her face turning bright red. “And you want to know who he is?”

“Yes,” she said, propping her feet on the coffee table. “Hence the work we have to do. I’ve been going back over some of the texts to try to find some clues. I think he has to be someone we know, at least a little bit, if he was able to figure out that Val is me.”

“Okay. Let’s do this then,” said Mary, shifting in her seat so she sat a bit straighter. “What have you got so far?”

“Not much,” Lily admitted. “I know he has a best friend that he talks about a lot. Oh, and there’s a girl he likes. They went on a date, but he hasn’t told me much about what happened since other than the fact that it went well. That’s all… not so helpful without names.” 

“Hm,” Mary hummed noncommittally. 

Lily took out her phone to look over the messages. She stopped, however, when she saw a recent conversation name. 

“I almost forgot!” Lily turned the screen to Mary, showing her chat history with Padfoot. “Maybe his best friend is better at letting things slip.”

“Padfoot,” Mary said, leaning over to look better. “What kind of name is that?”

“About as good as Prongs,” Lily said. “He told me it was something that stuck from when they were kids.” She paused in typing her message to Padfoot. “That’s probably a hint. How many people at college are still friends with the people they knew growing up?”

“Probably not many. What are you going to say to Padfoot?”

“I have to play it cool. Ask him questions that he doesn’t know are searching for hints and hope he drops something.”

Mary nodded in approval. “Simple enough.”

_Me: long time no talk! what have you been up to?_

When Lily hit send, Mary’s expression turned thoughtful. “You don’t think he’ll find it suspicious at all that you’re trying to talk to him right now?”

“Prongs is making a game out of it. I bet he told Padfoot,” she said, aiming for it to be breezy. She tried her best not to expect an immediate response at the exact moment she decided to text him. “The secret, I think, is going to be convincing Padfoot that it’s more fun to mess with Prongs than it is to mess with me.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’ll be too hard,” mumbled Mary underneath her breath.

“He’ll probably tell me something,” Lily said, poking Mary’s arm. “Who doesn’t like to mess with their best friend every once in a while?”

“I guess you’re right,” Mary said, poking her back. “Do you think he knows who you are? Like, do you think Prongs told him?”

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but the buzzing of her phone cut her off. She held it where both she and Mary could read the words. 

** Padfoot: ‘Lo Evans **

**Padfoot: How are you on this fine afternoon?**

“Yeah,” she said, deadpan. “I think he knows.” 

In the moment, Lily couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or find Padfoot so she could shake him until he told her the answer. If she was honest, it was a bit of both. Her frustration level at herself for not figuring it out yet rose a notch.

“So he does,” Mary said. She leaned in closer. “Oh, ask him how classes were today or something. Something easy, but also something that could be a slip up.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

_Me: just fine_

_Me: how are your classes?_

_Me: are you forgetting about me bc of studying? ):_

“Oh, that’s good,” Mary approved. “Make him feel guilty.” 

** Padfoot: I would never  **

**Padfoot: And that includes both studying and forgetting about you**

**__** _Me: I guess you aren’t trying to impress a cute girl in your class like Prongs_

_Me: has he become more… studious?_

** Padfoot: I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate me trying to impress any cute girls **

**Padfoot: and lol no.**

“A boyfriend!” Lily announced. “Padfoot is Prongs’ childhood best friend with a boyfriend!”

“I’ll make a note of it,” Mary said, taking out her phone. “We ought to keep a list of whatever we find out.”

“Good call.”

_Me: is class girl distracting him in other ways?_

** Padfoot: ...you could say that  **

Lily let out a huff. “So maybe he’s not that easy to crack.”

“Drats,” grumbled Mary. “He’s got his guard up. We’re going to have to take a different approach.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Maybe…” Mary paused, tapping her chin. Suddenly, she turned to Lily, her smile devious. “You can’t really talk to Prongs about James, right? What if you talk to Padfoot about James? Gush about him a little. Gage his reaction.”

“His reaction to… James?” Lily asked. “You think he knows him? Or that it will narrow down who Prongs could be?”

“He might know him. We could at least figure out his circle of friends this way, don’t you think? If he doesn’t know James, they must run in different groups.”

“I guess so,” Lily said. “They know of me, at least, so maybe they know James too. I’ll see what he says.”

_Me: I guess I can’t blame him too much_

_Me: I’ve been a little distracted myself (:_

** Padfoot: Oh really?? **

**Padfoot: Do I even want to know why you’re so distracted**

**Padfoot: Will it make me gag**

“Ugh,” groaned Mary. “He’s so dramatic.”

Lily grinned. “I know a few people like that.” She elbowed Mary teasingly while typing out her next message.

_Me: my roommate says we’re cute 0:)_

“Did I now?” Mary asked, leaning against Lily’s shoulder to keep track of the messages. “I don’t remember that.”

** Padfoot: I’m certain Macdonald said no such thing **

“Okay,” Lily said, turning the screen toward Mary. “When do we decide this is _weird?_ ”

“You became friends with a wrong number who also goes to our school.” Mary shrugged. “I think we’re past weird, to be honest.”

“Okay, okay. Fair,” Lily allowed. “If he knows about you, he doesn’t just see me in class or on the quad sometimes. This means we have to know them. Actually know them.” 

_Me: she’s totally thinking it_

** Padfoot: Mary can’t think past Fenwick’s lips  **

Mary laughed at this. “He’s got a point, you know,” she admitted. “I’m not sure what that boy has done to me, but mercy.”

“He _definitely_ knows you. Maybe he saw you at the party. Did you talk to anyone, or were you with Benjy the whole time?”

“I talked to mostly Benjy, and even then we didn’t do much talking. If you know what I mean.” 

Mary grinned, waggling her eyebrows.

Lily gave her a level stare. “I live with you, Mare. I absolutely know what you mean.” She slouched on the couch, thinking through the boys who might know them well enough to guess her identity. 

She tapped idly on her phone until a name stuck out from the rest.

“Wait.” Lily sat up. “Do you think Prongs could be _Benjy?_ ” Lily started to keep a count with her fingers, putting one up for every statement. “James says he’s known him for a long time, so he has childhood friends here. He knows me. He definitely knows you. He could have figured it out when…” Her eyes widened. “He knew when I was going on my date with James! He could have figured it out when I said I was going out with someone!” 

Mary frowned. “If it were Benjy, don’t you think he would have told me as soon as we started dating? I don’t think he’d keep something like that from me.”

“I haven’t told Prongs that you know about him. Maybe he doesn’t know to tell you,” Lily said. “Besides, as soon as Prongs found out, he texted me to turn it into a game. It could be his way of helping his girlfriend’s best friend get to know him better.”

“I don’t think it’s him,” Mary said, shaking her head. “He doesn’t talk like Benjy. Here.” Mary scrolled through her contacts quickly. “That’s Benjy’s number. Does it match?”

Lily opened her own contact profile for Prongs, but she didn’t have to look for long. “No,” she said, visibly deflating. “It doesn’t match. Who could it be?”

“I don’t know, Lils,” Mary said, patting her on the arm. “But it looks like we’re going to have to shelf it for now. It’s almost time for you to go to work.”

“Was that a pun? Does Benjy have you speaking in puns now?” Lily grasped Mary’s arm with one hand and put the other to her forehead in a dramatic gesture. “You know, that might actually be more of a Sirius move. Have you noticed him making so many puns of his name?”

“I think that’s more of a groupthing with Sirius and them. The whole lot of them think they’re so punny _._ It’s annoying.” 

“At least one of them is pretty cute,” Lily said, standing. This early into a relationship, she would let herself get away with being cheesy in front of Mary. “But you’re right that I should head out. Have to keep my half of the roof over our heads. If Benjy comes over, don’t let him eat my popcorn.” 

“Girl, I’ve already got you covered,” Mary said, laying back on the couch again. “It’s hidden where he’ll never find it. That boy could devour a bag of that stuff in five seconds flat.”

“You’re the best.” Lily bent to get her bag and put it over her shoulders. If things stayed slow, she would be able to get Remus to read over her essay before she turned it into the professor. “Text me if I need to bring anything home. Have fun with the boy!”

\--

_Lily: who made the first pun of Sirius’ name?_

**James: ...probably him?**

**James: I can’t remember. I feel like we’ve always made puns from his name**

**James: Why do you ask?**

**__** _Lily: it came up when I was talking to Mary today_

_Lily: she made a PUN about my JOB_

**James: I’m so proud of her**

**__** _Lily: which I’m headed to now btw_

_Lily: in case you need any library materials 0:)_

**James: Can’t tonight love :(**

**James: I’ve got to finish this essay and I think I’m going to have to lock myself in my room until I do**

**James: Did you know you’re distracting? ;)**

**__** _Lily: me? distracting?? what would make you say that???_

_Lily: sending productivity vibes_

_Lily: I’ll try to finish all my work tonight so we can hang out this weekend_

**James: Sounds great**

**James: Maybe we can catch a movie?**

**__** _Lily: I can come by your place_

_Lily: you know, I don’t think you ever showed me your room_

_Lily: good luck with your essay! :P_

**James: shsvshnskzms**

**James: I TOLD YOU NOT TO DISTRACT ME**

**__** _Lily: <3 <3_

\--

**Prongs: Soooo**

**Prongs: Have you found me yet?**

**__** _Me: do you think I would keep it to myself if I had?_

**Prongs: No, I don’t**

**Prongs: VALLLL**

**Prongs: I’m getting impatient over here**

**__** _Me: my sister always says I love to brag_

_Me: is class girl not keeping you distracted??_

**Prongs: She is**

**Prongs: You have no idea how distracted**

**__** _Me: clearly not enough :P_

**Prongs: Nice scarf today btw**

**Prongs: Loved all the little penguins printed on it**

**__** _Me: PRONGS_

_Me: you’re the worst_

_Me: (not really)_

**Prongs: Oh I really am. I’ve been told so several times.**

**Prongs: Have fun at work my dear Val!**

**__** _Me: how do you know everything???_

**Prongs: ;)**

\--

Her evening of working ahead and getting homework done to free up her weekend wasn’t going exactly according to plan. When Lily took over the desk from the person before her, there was a short line of students. Checking out books and DVDs didn’t take very long, so they were easy to help and send on their way. 

One task led to another, though. As she was about to start reading what she already had done of her essay, another group of students came in with large stacks. 

It was getting close to midterms. People had apparently decided that now was the time they actually had to use the library available to them. 

The first two hours passed quickly, because she had to keep up with the surge of students and get up a few times to show people how to find things on the shelves. It was good for keeping her from getting bored, but it didn’t help to finish her Lit essay.

When Remus came for the beginning of his shift, she was finally settling back into her chair. She pulled up the essay again and tried to get into the mindset of a dead American author.

Then another student worker stopped by with an apologetic shrug and cart of returned books.

“I’ve got it,” Lily said, standing to take the cart. She might as well give him a chance to focus. “You can stay at the counter, Remus. It’s been busy like this the whole time, so someone is going to need you.”

“Ugh, I hate exams,” grumbled Remus, taking a seat. “Both as a student and as someone who works in a library. I swear, some of them act like they’ve never been in here before.”

“They should have a section reserved during exam weeks for those of us who use the library the rest of the year.” Lily started to sort the cart so all of the books would be facing the same way. “I hate when I can’t find a power outlet because everyone remembers that the library exists three days before their midterm.”

“Agreed. Maybe we should start a petition for it.” 

“I’m on board. Although,” Lily said, “neither of our boyfriends would ever be able to visit.”

“I don’t even think Sirius knows where the library is, and I’ve only seen James in here that one time.”

“Twice! He brought us dinner that one time.” Lily started to scan the books, putting them into sectioned piles as she went. “But I see your point. Sirius can’t distract you if he doesn’t know where to find you.”

Remus winked at her. “Now you know my secret.” 

“You’re a sneaky one, Lupin.” 

Scanning books didn’t require much concentration. She could do it without paying attention.

Until she recognized one of the novels wedged between two esoteric philosophy books.

Her heart rate picked up, but it took her an extra few seconds to realize exactly why. It was a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ , complete with bends on the spine that told her it wasn’t a new edition. Her copy in the apartment looked different, but that wasn’t what made her stop.

It was the same copy from a picture saved in her phone.

This was Prongs’ copy of _Pride and Prejudice_. 

Whoever checked it out last was _Prongs._

Lily stashed it to the side, not wanting to explain to Remus why she needed to pay specific attention to this book. She scanned the rest in quickly and lined the cart up by the door to be taken out and shelved.

Then she was alone with the book and the potential to find out his identity. 

She was almost… nervous? 

Lily couldn’t explain it. 

She wanted to know who he was, but it also felt like the end of a movie. Once she knew, would they be able to be friends? Would they still talk to each other?

Though, if she was honest, they were already talking less. She spent the time she used to be texting him with James, and he had said things were going well with his class girl. 

Maybe solving the puzzle and winning his game would get them back to that. They could chat about weird things that happened and their love lives and ignore the part where she thought she might have been falling for him.

She had James, and he was making an effort to be the best boyfriend in the world.

He _was_ the best boyfriend in the world.

Lily pressed the button on the scanner and let her eyes dart immediately to the name that popped up on the screen.

_What?_

As if she temporarily forgot how to read, Lily clicked on the name. It pulled up a copy of a student ID card, along with a picture. The picture showed wild hair, familiar spectacles, and a crooked grin that usually inspired in her the desire to kiss where it started.

_Prongs is -_

“Remus!” Lily called, her voice going up in pitch at the end of his name. “Does one of your best friends have a nickname he uses, by chance?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily could see Remus visibly freeze. “I’m - um, I’m not sure what you mean, exactly.”

“I think you do,” she said, forcing her gaze away from the screen and to the person sitting at the other end of the counter. “Would you happen to know someone who calls themselves ‘Prongs’?”

Lily could see Remus visibly gulp. “Listen, Lily. I honestly didn’t want any part of this. I didn’t think it was a good idea to begin with. James got it in his head that it would be fun to make you find out he was Prongs all on your own and -”

“So it _is_ him!” 

Lily stood. This news or discovery or whatever it was couldn’t be taken sitting down. She had to move or pace or do _something_ to calm the new swarm of thoughts that jumped over each other in her brain. 

“James,” she said slowly, “is Prongs. Prongs is _James_!”

Prongs, the boy who watched a movie with her because she was alone and kept her up half the night texting, and James, the boy who watched the same movie with a smirk and kept her up half the night with thoughts of kissing him again, were the same person.

Once she knew that, everything else fell into place. 

A boy who went to her school. Someone with a best friend since childhood. 

James was both of those things. They walked to the same campus and teased the same Sirius. 

Her mind hiccuped on the other thing she knew about Prongs.

A girl in one of his classes that he liked.

Her first thought, impulsive and horrifying, was that there was some other girl. Some other girl who he saw in class and thought was so pretty and asked to see over the weekend and -

As quickly as the fear came, it vanished. There was no way. The James she knew was sincere and sweet and loyal to a fault.

Did that mean _she_ was…?

“Oh my God. Oh my God! He was asking me for advice about _me!_ ”

“Just figured that out, did you?” Remus asked, head in his hands. He looked positively sick. “Goddammit, Prongs. What have you done? _Why_ did I even help him?” 

“You helped him?” She tried to keep her voice under control, but it was a lot to take in at one time. “More than keeping the secret? What did you -” This was a concrete detail she could latch onto while everything else was swirling. Lily grabbed her phone to go back in her message history with Prongs. “I got a text while we were outside at your house the other day. James told me to check it. It was weird, but I didn’t really want to be texting at the time, so I mostly ignored it. Was that _you?_ ”

“He asked me to do it!” Remus whisper-protested. A few passing students looked over at them with odd expressions. “I didn’t want to! The whole point of his game was for you to find him, so why did he want me to throw you off his trail? It didn’t make any sense. But then he gave me a month's supply of chocolate. A month’s worth, Lily!But then he _yelled_ at me for not liking Bingley…”

Lily knew that part of the answer, even though Remus didn’t.

“Because it wasn’t something Prongs would say. If I was paying attention, I would have known that someone else had his phone.” 

“Bingley doesn’t have the depth that Darcy does.” Remus muttered underneath his breath, but Lily wasn’t listening. 

“He was trying to throw me off,” she said as she realized it, pointing an accusing finger at Remus. “He thought I might be getting close to figuring it out, so he started to mess with me!” 

She wasn’t completely sure that she grasped all of the implications of Prongs and James being one in the same, but she could hook onto this. 

“It’s what James does,” Remus said. “He can’t resist a good prank. He can’t resist making a spectacle out of something.”

Well, that settled it.

“Then _you’re,_ ” Lily said, emphasizing her point, “going to help me get him back.”

“What?” Remus yelped. “No, Lily!Please don’t rope me into another scheme.”

Lily put her hands on her hips, hoping the pose radiated all of the power those self help books claimed it did. “You helped him, Lupin, so now you have to help me. If James thinks he can prank me, he has to learn that I can prank him back.”

Remus stares at her wide eyed. “Jesus, you’re just as bad as him. Are you doing this because you’re mad at him?”

That made her stop. In all of this, she didn't really take a moment to decide how she felt.

Was she mad?

It would be understandable. They had a new relationship, and James kept a big secret.

When she thought of his face, though, she didn't see spots. She saw the boy she talked to before Bio that morning. The one who held doors open for her and kissed her forehead when she was thinking.

"No," Lily said, feeling out the word for its truth. "It's not because I'm mad. If I was, I would be texting Mary and plotting revenge or sending him a very angry series of messages."

“Then what is this? Payback?”

"More of a lesson," she said. "If we're going to be together, he has to know that his pranks won't work on me. That I can always get him back."

Remus sighed. “What if this sets off a prank war? What if your entire relationship is who can prank who in the most absurd way? And then I’m always in the middle of it.”

"He started it. This is a clear response," Lily argued. "Plus, I'm his girlfriend. Tell me, how long does Sirius actually stay mad at you?" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully at him. "The cardigans I've saved say not that long."

“Padfoot is never mad at me,” Remus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s normally me mad at him for ruining said cardigans.”

"Padfoot!" she echoed. Another puzzle piece fell into place. "He wouldn't tell me anything today. This is why!"

“He never should have taken your number from Prongs’ phone,” Remus mumbled more to himself than to Lily. “I toldhim it was a bad idea.”

"Well…" she said, grinning, "he can make it up to you now by helping us."

“No. No, no, no! Don’t bring him into this! He - he _lives_ for this type of drama, Lily!”

"Good," Lily said. She took out her phone and tapped rapidly. "We need to start planning."

_Group Chat: Welcome to Pettyville_

_Me: ever have a texting friend and boyfriend who are actually the same person?_

_Me: or is that just me?_


	13. I Wasn't Looking for This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy chapter 13 on the day our queen Taylor blessed us with evermore!

When James sent Lily a message a few days ago asking to go to the cinema, he hadn’t expected that Sirius and Remus would also be tagging along with them. 

Not that he particularly minded, of course. He had gone along with the pair of them before to see several movies, third wheeling it plenty of times. Going to the cinema with his mates was nothing new, and it was actually quite nice to have his own date for once. Someone to turn to and whisper whenever something particularly exciting was happening in the film. 

Or, more so, if he lost interest and got bored, someone to pester. 

Lily never seemed to mind his pestering out of boredom, humoring him on more than one occasion and allowing herself to become distracted as well. Distractions were the best sorts of times to steal kisses, after all. 

Who could complain about that?

So, no, James didn’t particularly mind that they were on an unexpected double date. 

He just thought it was a bit… odd. Not necessarily the date, but the behavior of his girlfriend - _girlfriend! -_ and his mates. Those parts were odd. 

From the moment they entered through the front doors, shuffling towards the back of an unfortunately slow-moving ticket line, he noticed the oddities. 

It started with Remus. He was shifty, nearly pale, and looked like if he managed to actually eat any of the theater’s popcorn, it would threaten to come back up. Did he have a stomach bug he was trying to avoid telling people about?

“Is he okay?” James whispered to Lily, figuring she would be the one to know. Remus had always seemed quite close to Lily, even before the whole Val/Lily saga. They had at least been on a first name basis before she and James ever had been. Perhaps something happened at work to frazzle him. 

“He’s fine,” she answered, though Lily didn’t even look over at Remus before saying it. She looped her arm through James’ and pulled him closer to her side, which was nothing that would get a complaint from him. “We may have gotten into a minor literary disagreement about the merits of Mr. Bingley, but I’m sure he’s over it.”

James frowned. “He got that upset over Bingley?He looks nearly green.”

“He’s fine,” she said again.

The next thing he noticed were the _looks._

He noticed it when he first picked Lily up for the evening. Sirius got out of the front seat to give it to Lily and, before moving to the back, they traded this look that James couldn’t quite decipher. It had only lasted two seconds, but there was something in it that made James raise an eyebrow. 

He saw _the look_ again when he purchased the tickets. It was nothing more than a small smile between his best friend and his girlfriend, but it was enough for James to raise his suspicions. 

Sirius was amused at something. James just didn’t know what. 

Nothing good came out of Sirius Black being amused without James being in on the joke. 

“What?” James asked him, unable to help himself. Sirius looked at him as if he had grown a second head. “What’s so funny?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate,” Sirius said once he had the tickets for himself and Remus. “No one’s laughing at anything.”

“We’ll need popcorn,” Lily decided. “Should we get a big one to share?”

Remus stayed quiet. 

“We can get a refill and make it count,” James said, absentmindedly. Grabbing the tub, he moved to the station to fill his popcorn.

Maybe he was being paranoid. All this scheming against his girlfriend and trying to keep up his Prongs persona was probably just getting to him. 

He was probably losing his mind, that was all. 

“James, you’re overflowing the popcorn!” Remus cried, snapping James out of his spiraling. 

James looked down, immediately letting go of the popcorn lever. He had made a complete _mess._ Popcorn scattered all across the counter. His bucket was spilling over, and falling onto the floor. 

He saw the employee behind the counter give him a glare. It was well deserved, he knew.

“Shit,”he cursed. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“I’ll get it,” Lily offered, taking the bucket from him and trying to keep as much of it contained as possible. She bumped her hip against his familiarly. “What has you so distracted?”

“You weren’t even kissing him that time, Evans.” Sirius stepped up beside him and started sweeping some of the popcorn into the trash with his hand. “Have a lot on your mind?”

James blinked at the two of them. 

They were… chummy.

He didn’t know how else to describe it. 

Why did it bother him? 

Why was it so suspicious? 

“James has always been easily distracted,” Remus chimed in for him when too much time passed without him speaking. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I guess so.”

"I'm always the one distracting us during movies. Good thing we came on a weeknight so fewer people will be upset if I start talking." Lily presented him with the popcorn bucket again. "Wednesdays are perfect for date night, don't you think?"

“Of course,” James said, smiling down at her. She smiled back and his world became centered again. He was being ridiculous. Nothing new. “Maybe we should make it a regular thing.” 

“Gag,” said Sirius, strolling past them. “Come on, love birds. Let’s get in there before the previews start.” 

The lights were already off when they entered their theater. James instinctively reached back for Lily’s hand as he guided them to the nearest row with the fewest people in it, thankful that they had chosen to see a movie that had been out for a while. It was relatively dead. 

If he became _distracted_ with Lily, it was less likely that he would gross anyone out this way. 

And if he grossed Remus out, he would point out that his current cardigan was still missing a button.

“I haven’t been to a movie in forever,” James whispered. “I guess that much is obvious since I seemed to have forgotten how the popcorn dispenser worked.”

“Me neither,” Lily replied in the same whispered tone. “To be honest, I’ve watched more movies with you than I have in the past year otherwise.” A beat passed. In the dim theater, it almost looked like her face fell for a moment, but it was back before James could be sure. “Even if it’s only the one.”

 _The same movie twice,_ he finished for her but kept that part to himself. She didn’t give any indication that she knew he was Prongs just yet. 

He was beginning to wonder how long it was going to take her to figure out. He wasn’t sure what her progress was on the matter, and it wasn’t like he could exactly ask her as James. It had been a few days since they had texted each other as Val and Prongs. Surely, she was putting the pieces together by now. Or at least _trying._

It was both blissful and maddening to be in her presence when she didn’t know. 

“Do you -” He started, but before he could get his question out, the opening credits started, drowning him out. 

Lily leaned her head against his shoulder. The arm rest between them was raised, so they didn't have to accommodate it. She looked up at him, brow furrowed, and mouthed a silent, "What?"

He wasn’t even sure what he was going to ask her now.

_Do you want to do something after this?_

_Do you feel the same way I do?_

_Do you know I’m Prongs?_

He shook his head instead, smiling. “Nothing.”

\--

_Group Chat: Welcome to Pettyville_

_Me: was I being too subtle???_

** Padfoot: Idk **

**Padfoot: I think he’s broken**

Remus: You know what’s not subtle? 

Remus: TELLING HIM!

**Padfoot: Wow Remus you're sitting right next to me**

**Padfoot: No need to shout**

**__** _Me: but then he wins!!!_

_Me: whose side are you on??_

Remus: The side that makes this end.

**Padfoot: I think we all know that I’m…**

**Padfoot: TEAM VALLY**

Remus: Well done, Pads. 

Remus: You managed to put two words together and have them make sense. 

__ _Me: I'm flattered Padfoot <3_

Remus: I think we can just be team Lily now. 

_Me: we all need to be Team Make James Admit It_

Remus: Ugh. 

Remus: I hate this team. 

**Padfoot: You need to lay on the charm Evans**

**Padfoot: Use your powers of...persuasion ;)**

Remus: oh my god

_Me: you think that will work??_

** Padfoot: Um let me think **

**Padfoot: YES**

**Padfoot: He’s literally the stupidest I’ve ever seen him around you**

**Padfoot: I’m pretty sure you could snog the answer out of him**

Remus: Oh god please no. 

Remus: Not in our shared house. 

__ _Me: as if your house hasn't seen worse_

_Me: need my sewing kit again?_

Remus: Damn you and your needlework, Evans

_Me: I can give it a try_

_Me: always good to have an excuse to kiss my boyfriend (:_

** Padfoot: okay I don't need details **

Remus: Yeah, agreed. 

**Padfoot: Just get him alone**

**Padfoot: He’ll be putty in your hands**

**__** _Me: roger that_

\--

Admittedly, when Lily roped Remus into the still-forming plan in her head and made a group texting chat to include Sirius (Padfoot, as he was saved in her phone), she didn’t think the plan would actually last very long. 

Her goal was to make James admit who he was, just as she was starting to suspect he was doing to her.

Once she knew that he was Prongs, his choice of movie on their study date (not that they got much studying done, to be honest) had another meaning. He was leaving the crumbs so she would follow them and declare that she knew.

Well, if he was messing with her, she could mess with him right back.

At the same time, her relationship with James was taking a subtle but decidedly clear shift. 

She didn’t feel strange coming by his house with little warning. His friends invited her to sit on the couch and hang out with them while she waited for James to finish class. They went on a double date with his best friends and didn’t hide the fact that they sometimes wanted to pay more attention to each other than the movie in front of them.

James fit into her life like he had always been there. She hoped, when she saw him grinning at her or instinctively knowing to grab her hand, that he felt the same.

After the movie and even without a formal invitation, the whole car knew Lily was returning to the house with them. They didn’t have a solid plan, but that didn’t matter. She wanted to be there. They wanted her there too.

It was already getting dark when James pulled the car into the driveway. Sirius, always full of energy, bounded out of the car and went to unlock the front door.

“Do you think we should bother with real dinner?” Lily asked James over the roof of the car. “Or do we embrace our status as college kids and skip it?”

“I don’t think I can eat anymore,” James said. “All that popcorn… ugh.” 

“No one asked you to eat two buckets of popcorn, James,” Remus grumbled. 

“Movie popcorn is an _experience._ If you don’t leave feeling sick from it, you’re not doing it right.”

They'd been holding hands over the gear shift as he drove, but that didn't stop Lily from taking James' hand again as they walked through the front door. 

"So maybe something to drink," Lily said. "Something that isn't a movie theater size soda."

"And something that won't get anyone hungover before class tomorrow," Remus added.

"One would be fine," Lily countered. "But water's always good."

“Are you guys really having a conversation about _drinks?_ Geez, I go inside and all the fun goes along with me, doesn’t it? _”_ Sirius teased, peering his head around from the kitchen with a plate of leftover pizza. He apparently was the only one left with an appetite, even though he offered Remus a bite.

“Get that away from me,” Remus groaned, his nose curled. “I don’t feel so good.”

“You didn’t look too well at the cinema,” James commented. “You don’t think you’re coming down with something, do you?”

“I don’t -”

"Sirius," Lily said, effectively cutting Remus off, "aren't you going to take care of your poor, sick boyfriend?"

"Oh yeah." Sirius theatrically winked at her like this was part of a master plan. She had to hold back a groan. He was bad at this. "C'mon, Rem, let's get you to bed."

“I don’t want to go to bed. I want a warm bath and a book.” Remus grumbled but allowed himself to be guided away.

James watched them go, his expression quizzical. He waited until they were gone, the door shutting behind them, before he spoke. Even then, he kept his voice hushed. “Did they seem a bit off to you?” 

"Maybe they want time alone," Lily offered. She turned so they were facing each other and found his other hand. "Or maybe they thought we did."

“Sirius never usually just leaves me alone,”James muttered. 

Lily could see the little seed of doubt sprouting behind his eyes. Quickly enough, it faded by her simply taking a step closer to him and raising herself up on her tiptoes so that his focus was on her once again. 

He _was_ easily distracted, wasn’t he?

He eyed her appreciatively.

"Not even to be with Remus? Maybe he didn't want the rest of his date to be double." She dropped a kiss on his cheek and stayed close. "Plus, you're not alone. You're with me."

“Hmm,” he hummed. He looked positively lit up. “My favorite place to be.”

"Mine too."

That was true. Once his hands were in hers, she didn't want to be anywhere else. Carefully, she angled her head to the side, asking permission to kiss him properly. 

He responded instantly, pressing his lips to hers and tangling a hand in her hair. 

If sitting next to James sent sparks through her nerves, kissing him was a full lightning storm. 

Her mind went blissfully blank. She wasn’t thinking about Prongs or plans or pranks. She was thinking about James and kissing him and how wonderful it was that her fingertips found skin under the hem of his shirt. 

“Do you want to take this to my bedroom?” he asked through their kisses. Then, seemingly realizing how that sounded, he leaned back enough to add, “If you’re comfortable, of course. I’m not expecting… anything more than this.”

Her lips tried to follow his when he pulled back, probably giving him an answer to his suggestion without her having to say anything. Only his solid presence stopped her from being a complete fool who might have tripped on her own feet. One hand of his went to her elbow to steady her.

She was very far gone if a hand on her elbow made her feel like _this_.

“Bedroom sounds great,” Lily answered. “Lead the way.”

He grinned, leaning down to kiss her again. This time, he didn’t break the kiss. Instead, he eased her down the hallway until her back came in contact with the hardness of a door with a small _thump._

Hands fumbling for the handle, it took them longer to get the door open than it would have if they weren’t so preoccupied, but neither seemed willing to part for air at the moment. 

Lily had never been kissed like this before. It was making her head spin. So out of it was she that when the door finally did manage to give way, she stumbled slightly, her fists balling into the front of James’ shirt, hanging onto him for support. 

Her mind searched for something to grasp, something to ground her, but her body found it first in the form of her back hitting a mattress. 

_His_ mattress.

“Is this okay?” James asked, lifting his lips away from hers to get the question out.

He was angled slightly on top of her, though not crushingly so. Their legs were an intertwined mess, their hands finding different pathways to explore. 

“More than okay,” Lily answered, breathless. She was almost proud of herself for managing three entire words. With his weight on top of her, all of her thoughts turned into pleasant buzzing. “Don’t stop.”

Following her own instructions, Lily lifted her head enough to close the gap between their lips. His hands knew where to go without prompting. 

She could only hope that she was making him feel the same as he made her. Like she was floating and surprisingly present at the same time. Like she had these hands and lips her entire life but didn’t know exactly what they were made for until right now. Like his fingertips contained a rare form of magic that made her feel beautiful and bright and alive.

Until she felt something that was decidedly _not_ James brushing her cheek. A dignified and clear, _“Meow,”_ by her ear pulled her out of their kiss-fueled state.

“Hello,” Lily said. 

Upside down from her point of view, a cat stared squarely at her. The animal withdrew its tail from her face and sat, as if awaiting an explanation. 

James groaned, the sound long and low against the crook of her neck. “Lily, meet Sir Purr. He’s an asshole with exceptionally bad timing.” 

Seemingly satisfied with his introduction, the gray feline let out another mew before reaching down to bump heads with Lily. With his loud purr vibrating and tickling her forehead, she didn’t have to guess how he earned his name.

“Hello, Sir,” she said again, smiling at his acceptance of her. “You look even more handsome than your profile pic.”

Like his owner, Sir Purr appeared to love compliments from her. His sounds turned into faint rumbles. After studying her, he looked up at James and let out a short meow.

Lily hoped it spoke of his approval.

“You can kick him off the bed if you’d like,” James told her. “If he’s bothering you, that is.”

“Only that he interrupted us,” she replied. “I’ve wanted to meet you, sweetheart, but maybe we can cuddle another time?”

When her eyes returned to James, she could see where his hair was made even messier than usual and not by his hands alone. Her lips still tingled with the memory of his and the sweetness on his breath from a Coke at the theater.

He smiled down at her. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Letting out a laugh that was part joy and part nerves, she made herself tell him what she was thinking. “I really, really like you, James Potter.”

“I really, really like you too, Lily Evans,” he said, sealing it with a kiss to her forehead. “It’s crazy how much I like you. Allof you.”

_Val._

_Lily._

She knew he meant both.

Lily wondered if he could feel her heartbeat. Could he see something in her eyes that told him how happyshe was? She wanted to kiss him again and again and be able to keep doing it because they were _Lily and James_ and that meant something.

“Would you, um, _not_ want togive me a ride home tonight?”

“You want to stay the night?”

A small but not insignificant part of her worried that she overstepped. If her mother saw her now, she would tell her that it was rude to invite herself into someone else’s home.

If her mother saw her now, though, she might have a lot more than that to say.

“Is that okay?” Lily asked, echoing his question from earlier.

“Yeah! I mean - yeah,” he said, attempting to mask his overly enthusiastic tone. His smile ruined it for him. “Of course it’s okay. I wouldn’t mind _not_ giving you a ride home at all.”

Lily laughed, delighted and smitten. “That’s settled. And we found out that Sir Purr likes me. That sounds to me like a good reason to celebrate.”

“Hmm.” He lowered his head, nuzzling her nose with his own. “And what sort of celebration did you have in mind, exactly?”

Lily tilted her chin up, hoping his lips would brush hers. “We were getting pretty good at it a few minutes ago.”

“Before we were so rudelyinterrupted, you mean,” James said. His lips hovering above her own nearly distracted her from the way he stretched his hand over her head, scooping his cat up and gently dropping him to the floor _._

The scattering of little feet underneath the bed and the jingling of what Lily assumed was a cat toy told her that their previous distraction was otherwise preoccupied.

“Yes,” she said softly and almost against his lips. “Where were we?”

“Right about here.” 

She could feel the curve of his smirk against her lips before she melted into it.


	14. Your Stare Was Holding

The first thing James became aware of was a feeling of warmth. 

It surrounded him, pulling him deeper into the lulling embrace of sleep, and begging him to stay in the realm of unconsciousness. It was so easy to want to obey that desire, but there was also light spilling into the room, making it nearly impossible. 

His mind fleetingly grasped onto the thought that he must have forgotten to shut his curtains the night before. 

Groaning, he turned toward where the warmth was radiating, attempting to get away from the first few rays of morning sun. He sighed, feeling content as his arms found the source, pulling it closer towards him. He caught the scent of something faintly like cinnamon and honey as he buried his face into the comfortable heat. 

And then his mind caught up with him. 

_Cinnamon and honey?_

Head heavy and eyes burning from such a deep sleep, it took James several moments to blink himself awake. When he did, he took in what he knew of his surroundings. He was in his bedroom, in his own bed…

And there was a girl in his arms. 

A girl whose hair he had been nuzzling. 

A girl who sighed, content, and buried her head in his chest as she slept on. 

_Lily._

James paused for a moment, his confusion only slight as he remembered the previous night. He and Lily had kissed. _A lot,_ if he was remembering correctly. They had spent most of the night kissing, in fact. 

And she asked to stay the night.

At some point, when they decided they would have to sleep, he lent her a shirt and a pair of his old joggers from when he was a freshman in high school. Then, he had fallen asleep to her tracing patterns into the palm of his hand. 

_Lily Evans spent the night._

Still having trouble processing that bit of information, James reached across her to where his phone was buzzing. Rubbing his eyes and squinting, for he wasn’t sure where he placed his glasses, he tried to make sense of the words as they flashed across his screen. 

** Padfoot: Well??? **

**Padfoot: Did you get him to crack yet?**

Remus: I think she’s otherwise preoccupied at the moment. 

Remus: As was your suggestion in the first place, Pads. 

**Padfoot: It was a good suggestion**

**Padfoot: Evans?**

**Padfoot: EVANS**

**Padfoot: gd Evans**

**Padfoot: I need details**

**Padfoot: You better not have forgotten about the mission**

**Padfoot: MAKE PRONGS CRACK 2K19**

… This was not his phone. 

He blinked at the screen again, taking in the groupchat name of _Welcome to Pettyville_. 

This was definitely not his phone. 

He sat up slowly, careful not to wake the sleeping Lily next to him as he stared down at the messages, focusing on one in particular. 

** Padfoot: MAKE PRONGS CRACK 2K19 **

She _knew._

She knew he was Prongs. 

She knew that _he_ knew that she was Val. 

And she was trying to get him to confess. She was prankinghim, and she had even gotten his mates in on it. 

“You little shit,”he whispered affectionately, brushing some of her hair out of her face. “God dammit, Evans. I’m going to end up marrying you, you know that?”

She grunted in response, not bothering to wake. Instead, she turned away from him and he laughed, placing her phone back on the nightstand for her to find. 

Gingerly getting out of bed and tiptoeing across the floor, he decided to head to the kitchen. After all, if they were going to be in a prank war against each other, they might as well be well fed. He couldn’t let his girl go hungry, now could he? She would need all her strength to go up against him now that he knew that she knew that heknew. 

He shook his head. This was, perhaps, becoming a bit messy, keeping track of who knew what, but he was good at getting out of messes. 

He almost couldn’t believe that she had figured it out and responded by trying to turn the tables around on him. He was… impressed. 

James was laughing madly and mixing pancake batter when Remus walked into the kitchen, stopping with wide eyes at the sight of him. 

“What’s going on?” 

“Good morning,” James said, grinning at him. “Did you sleep well?”

“Well enough,” Remus answered, still eyeing him skeptically. “How did you sleep?”

“Great. Perfect. I feel amazing,”he said, grabbing a pack of bacon from the fridge. “Do you want bacon with your pancakes? Oh, you know what? I think I have chocolate chips somewhere I can add to the batter.”

“Lily spent the night,” Remus said, not even pretending that it was a question. He nodded to himself. “Chocolate chips are in the cabinet above the stove.”

“This is why I love you, Remus,” James said, twirling his spatula. “You know _everything,_ don’t you?” 

“That depends,” Remus said, sliding into a chair by the table and keeping his eyes on James. “What do you include in ‘everything’?”

“You know who alsois very knowledgeable?” James said, turning on the burner. He threw extra chocolate chips into Remus’ pancake. “Lily.” 

“Yes,” Remus said after a beat. “Is there anything… specific that made you think about that?”

“Hmm,” James mused. He kept his eyes on the bubbling surface of the pancake. Remus liked his pancakes with crunchy edges, and he needed to make sure that it was perfect. “Maybe. Do you want orange juice with your breakfast?”

“Prongs,” Remus said, lowering his voice and letting a note of worry into it. “Is this part of your game with Lily? I think you should _tell her_.” He darted a look toward James’ closed bedroom door. “She clearly likes you.”

“Why would I tell her,” he started, plating Remus’ pancakes with a bacon smiley face, “when she already knows?”

He slid the plate across the table to Remus, who looked down at it in horror.

“How do you - Nevermind. I don’t want to know.” Remus must have been distressed, because he didn’t immediately dive into his chocolate-filled pancake. “I want you to tell each other what’s going on so this can be over.”

“Are you kidding me? I can’t let this opportunity go,” James argued. “She may know that I know, but she doesn’t know that I know that _she_ knows that I know. You know?”

“I wish I didn’t. God, James, this has gone on long enough.”

The faint creak of a door came from down the hall, followed by a pathetic meow. 

“Shhh,” James shushed Remus, sliding an extra pancake onto his plate. “Not a word, okay?”

“Fine,” Remus whispered. “You owe me.”

“Aw,” Lily’s voice came into the kitchen before she did. “Are you hungry, Sir? Let’s find James.”

The smell of frying bacon and pancakes lead Lily into the kitchen a few seconds later, the grey cat staying close to her legs. When he saw James, he meowed loudly again, as if fully deprived. 

“Good morning,” Lily said, giving James a sleepy smile that made him melt. “This little guy woke me before my alarm to cuddle. I couldn’t find you to join, but I smelled something cooking out here. I can feed him if you tell me where his stuff is.” Then, noticing Remus in the room, her cheeks flushed. “Hi, Remus.”

“Morning, Lily,” he mumbled, his mouth full of bribery pancakes. 

“His food is right there,” James said, pointing to the container full of cat food next to the fridge. “Along with his bowls. Do you want bacon with your pancakes?”

“Sure.” 

While passing him on her way to the fridge, Lily paused to put a hand on James’ arm and kiss his cheek. Sir Purr brushed against both of their legs between them, making another sad kitty sound. 

“Okay,” Lily said quietly, an amused smile evident in her voice, “you can be first.”

Sir Purr followed her closely while she topped off his water and put a cup of food in his bowl. The food was enough to distract him and allow Lily to come closer. Once there, she leaned against the counter next to the stove. 

“Good morning,” she said again. “How did you sleep?”

“Perfect,” James said, smiling at how very domestic the whole thing was. “And you?”

“Great,” Lily answered. “I’ve never had a full breakfast before Bio. Did I make you skip your morning run?”

“How’d you know I run every morning?” James asked, though he honestly knew how. He had told her that as Prongs and couldn’t resist an opportunity to attempt to catch her in her act.

“You told me you exercise a lot,” she said, a little too quickly. “And I ran into you that time before Bio. I guess I assumed it was a run every morning. Was I, um, was I right?”

She was a bad liar. It was _adorable._

“Right on the money,” he confirmed. He handed her a plate, watching as she took it with pink cheeks. 

“Done!” Remus said, standing quickly from the table as they were about to sit. “I couldn’t eat another bite. I’m going to go make sure I have all my assignments prepared for the day.”

“Okay,” Lily said, moving into his empty seat. “I’ll see you at work?”

“Yeah. Yes. Absolutely,” Remus answered, intentionally not meeting her eyes. “See you later!” He hurried down the hall, and his door snapped closed. 

“Do you think he minds that I stayed over?”

“Nah. He’s like this every morning,” James said, cutting into his pancakes and pausing before putting the bite in his mouth. 

“Okay,” she answered doubtfully. Lily took a bite of her pancake, her eyes lighting up a little and making her look more awake. 

“So…”

She turned her attention back to James. “So?”

James hadn’t actually made a plan of action after seeing her phone this morning. He was more of the type of person to wing most things, and he wondered if maybe this wasn’t something he could wing. If maybe this was something that would need to be handled with gloves. 

Lily was clever. 

“Anything you want to tell me?” 

And he was not subtle, apparently. He froze at his own stupidity. What was with him and his inability to play it cool around her?

“You make good pancakes?” she tried, teasing. Lily took another bite to prove her point. “Or we could talk about last night, if that’s what you mean.”

Okay, wrong tactic. 

One where she was simply able to offer a distracting subject change.

One that he shouldn’t take. 

One that he definitely would not take. 

“We can talk about last night.” 

_God dammit, Potter. Focus!_

“Do you want to talk about the part where we made out until two in the morning? Or the part where you slept in my bed?”

"Either," she grinned. "Plus the part when your cat loved me and I said I really, really like you."

As if on cue, Sir Purr’s tail brushed James’ ankle. He looked down to see two wide green eyes staring back at him, blinking and unimpressed that James was not fawning over him.

“I still think he’s a bit of an ass,” James said. “But he’s usually an excellent judge of character. He does seem to really like you.” He smiled at her as he munched on some bacon. “I may feel the same.”

_I really, really like you, Lily Evans._

_I think that I love you._

_I need you to admit to being a little shit and trying to prank me so that I can kiss you for it._

All of these thoughts flashed through his mind, but he kept them to himself. 

"You may?" Lily leaned forward. 

“Maybe,” he said, leaning forward himself. “I’ve grown pretty fond of you.”

"What a relief," she said, still smiling. Something on the table vibrated, and she glanced down at her phone. "We should get ready for Bio. Can I borrow a sweater of yours?"

“Take your pick,” he told her, grabbing their plates. “They’re in the top drawer of my dresser.”

"Thanks." She stood and started out of the kitchen, Sir Purr on her heels, but she stopped before going back to his room. "Isn't it great that we share a class? We should find another one next semester." 

“We should,” he agreed. It was so easy to feel wrapped up in his feelings for her, watching her there, standing in his shirt, smiling at him like everything was right in the world. 

He watched her slip into his room, unable to take his eyes off the spot where she’d just been. 

He laughed. “I’m going to marry that girl.”

\--

_** Severus: Lily, I think we should talk. ** _

**_Severus: Look, I know you’re still mad, but I really think we can talk about this._ **

**_Severus: We were friends for so long. Now we don’t talk at all._ **

**_Severus: Are we really going to throw all of that away over one thing?_ **

**_Severus: Maybe we could meet this afternoon to see if we can fix this misunderstanding._ **

**__** _Seen at 12:03pm._

**_Severus: Did I see you on the quad with Potter today?_ **

**_Severus: I know you said you were going to that party of his, but you don’t have to keep going along with him._ **

**_Severus: I really need to talk to you._ **

\--

Most of the time, Lily thrived on having a plan. 

She liked to chart the course of her day, her semester, her year. Then, she could go from step to step, keeping track of how much closer she was to her goal. She could think of what to do if anything went wrong. She could have some control over her life.

But now, she found herself drifting more than she ever had before, figuring things out as she went along and diverging from her plan in some noticeable ways.

She hadn’t planned to try to call her sister one night, furious, and end up wondering about the boy on the other end of the line. She hadn’t planned on falling hard and fast for the cute guy in the back of her Bio class who asked her for notes. 

She hadn’t planned on them being the same person, two sides of someone who made her heart beat faster and her thoughts spin.

Last night, she didn’t plan on ending their date by asking to spend the night. She didn’t plan on skipping sleep on a school night so she could kiss him again and again. She didn’t plan on waking up in his bed and feeling like she could stay there - preferably with him - for a long time.

For now, though, she was okay with that.

Instead of walking back to her apartment alone after class, as she usually did, James walked her back, waited for her to collect her things for the rest of the day, and suggested that they get something to eat outside. They bought a couple of burritos and spread a blanket out on the quad so they could enjoy the colors and coolness of late fall. 

Even with her entire closet of options, Lily opted to stay in his sweater. She could pull the sleeves all the way over her hands and smell the traces of his laundry detergent. Wearing it felt comfortable and intimate in a way that made her grin behind her sleeve-covered hands.

“We can go over the chapter on DNA again,” Lily said, laying back on the blanket and holding her textbook above her head. “I’m sure there’s going to be questions about that on the midterm.”

Leaves crunched around them, but she generally ignored them. Students were walking to and from classes, meeting friends, getting coffee, and running to office hours. She loved times like this, when lots of people were busy and doing things. Lives ran parallel to each other without intersecting.

It made her feel lucky. James came to her in two paths. She was able to catch him both ways.

She could ignore the background noise of campus until someone stopped by the blanket, scuffing boots on the grass and letting out a particularly loud scoff. 

“Is this what you’re doing now, Lily?”

She sat up quickly, holding the textbook in front of her. It was almost like a shield between her and the person she absolutely didn’t want to see.

Severus crossed his arms and looked at them coolly. Lily knew him well enough to know he was trying to look unbothered. He gave himself away, however, when his eyes darted between Lily and James.

He was bothered.

“What I’m doing isn’t any of your business,” she said. “Can you leave me alone, please?”

Severus sighed as if _she_ were the unreasonable one. “I’d really like to talk to you, Lily.” His eyes darted towards James and then back to her. “Alone. Please?”

Running into him with Mary was bad enough. Nothing would make her want to be alone with him. "Absolutely not," she answered.

“I really don’t think Lily is interested in talking to you, Snape,” James said, leaning back on his palms to look up at the other boy. “She asked you to leave.”

"That's none of your concern, Potter. Lily -"

"You know each other," Lily interrupted. “So you know this can’t go well.”

Severus had reacted to James' name the last time she saw him, but that was different from seeing him glare daggers on the quad. This wasn’t entirely projection on someone that he caught a glance of every so often. They had some kind of history. 

“We had Speech together last year,” James confirmed. “He has some pretty… interesting viewpoints. We may have sparred a couple of times.” 

“You mean you purposely antagonized me,” Snape hissed. “You and that dogof yours, Sirius Black!”

"It’s not antagonizing if you said the kind of stuff you tried to say to me. It’s calling you out,” Lily said. She looked toward James, knowing that small action would bother Severus more. “I know all about his viewpoints. It's why we aren't friends anymore."

“Then you can only imagine how our public speaking class went,” James said. His eyes shifted between Lily and Severus, seemingly latching onto something. 

Something only Prongs should know, Lily suspected. 

“You two go way back, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Severus answered, eyes boring into James and grasping onto this connection. “Lily and I have known each other since we were kids. We’ve been friends since -”

“It’s not a contest,” Lily replied hotly. “Being a good friend is more important than how long we knew each other.”

“And I’ve been a good friend to you!” He turned to her, eyes wide and a little desperate. “I helped you deal with your sister and work on things for school. We even applied to college together, Lily! You’re the one giving up on us because -”

“Because,” Lily said, trying - and mostly failing - to keep her voice level, “you think that means you get to decide how I live my life. That if I don’t agree with you, if I tell you that you’re being a jerk, it’s some big attack. That you’re always right, even when you’re being a bigot!”

That seemed to silence Severus, his face flushed and his mouth a thin line. As if he finally grasped that Lily no longer viewed him as she once did. He has always been delusional that she would return to him. That she was going through a phase. That he just needed to be persistent enough to make her come back. 

“I can’t - I can’t give up on you,” Severus told her after a moment. “I can’t give up on _us._ I can’t believe that you’re so willing to throw away everything we’ve been to each other.” 

"There isn't an us anymore," Lily said. She was tired of having this conversation and tired of thinking about why she needed to have it in the first place. "You're not my best friend. You threw that away a long time ago."

“I’m not the one who -”

James stood suddenly, the action causing Severus to take a step back in surprise and cutting him off. Lily was struck for the first time by how _tall_ James was. She had to strain her neck up to look at him. Even Severus, who was taller than Lily and always had been, had to look up at him.

“I think you should leave,” James said, taking a step in front of Lily. “You’re making Lily uncomfortable, and you’re causing a scene.”

His pleading expression quickly hardened. "This doesn't involve you, Potter. You think that everyone is waiting to hear your opinion, but I'm not. I'm not impressed by your -”

"Please," Lily said, standing. She didn't like being the only person on the ground. "I said it before, but I'll say it again. Leave me alone."

Severus regarded her for a moment, his eyes cold. “I can’t believe you’re so willing to let this go. I can’t believe how little I mean to you. After everything.”

“Don’t go turning this back around on Lily, _Snivellus,”_ James growled. “You’re good at that, aren’t you? Placing the blame on others and never taking any for yourself.” 

“Is _this_ what you’re giving me up for then?” Severus snapped at Lily, his voice raising slightly. “This is your type? Arrogant and rich? You’d rather have him in your life? He can’t give you what I can give you -” 

“What?” James snorted. “A migraine?”

“This isn’t about you versus James, Severus! I didn’t want to be friends with you before I even met him.” Her hands tightened by her side, voice rising. “I’m not some paper doll who will do whatever you like or a trophy to win so you can brag about it to your horrible friends.” 

Severus let out a disbelieving laugh that held no humor. “Now you’re surrounding yourself with people like Macdonald and Potter who -”

“Who don’t tell me what to do or who to spend my time with. Who don’t make me feel like they’re waiting for me to do something wrong so they can be upset with me and hold it over my head. They’re people who don’t use our friendship like a weapon to get the answers they want.” Her nails pinched her palms. “ _That’s_ the kind of people I surround myself with now.”

Silence fell between the three of them. For a moment, Lily was certain she could slice through the tension her words created with a knife. 

_Good,_ she thought to herself. _It needed to be said. It needed to be said a long time ago._

Despite all of that, despite the necessity of the words and the freedom that came with speaking them aloud, Lily felt a part of herself crumble. 

Severus _was_ part of her childhood. He was there, cemented in so many memories of what they used to be. Though she knew he had grown into too toxic of a person to be around, it still hurt to have to make the decision. He had distanced himself away from her so much that she could not take him with her into the next phase of her life in good conscience. 

She hated him for putting her in that position in the first place.

“Come on,” she heard James say. His hand reached for hers, and she instinctively let her fingers tighten around it. “Let’s go.” 

“Don’t bother,” snapped Severus. He didn’t break eye contact either. “I’ll go. You won’t hear from me again, if that’s honestly what you really want. I’ll take myself out like the trash you seem to think I am.”

“Severus, I -”

Even now, with her meaning every word she said and with him being who he intended to be, Lily wanted to respond. Her instinct was to say something, to start some rebuttal that would let him know that _no_ , it hadn’t all been nothing, but _no_ , she couldn’t keep doing this.

Somehow, his opinion of her still mattered, even when she knew it shouldn’t. Even when every part of her didn’t want it to matter anymore.

She would have to be okay with him not understanding. She would have to be okay with him never seeing her side and never doing anything to understand it.

She would have to be okay with things breaking painfully and without clean edges.

Lily couldn’t keep having this fight.

“Good bye, Severus,” Lily said instead. 

He cast her one last withering look. Without another word, Severus turned sharply on his heel and walked briskly away.

“I…” Lily cleared her throat. She waited until he passed behind one of the academic buildings to try to say anything, staring into the space where Severus was. “I want to go home, James.”

“Okay,” he said right away, bending down to gather their things. She turned to find him carefully tucking each book into her bag. “I’ll take you home. Do you want me to text Mary or anything?”

“No.” 

Mary was fury and anger when it came to Severus or anyone else who hurt her. Lily loved those parts of her friend, but she wasn’t ready for them yet. She wasn’t ready to list the things he’d done wrong and all of the ways she was better off without him. She wasn’t ready to make a burn book and watch it go up in flames.

She would be ready at some point, she told herself. After a few hours, maybe she would return to herself.

She had to.

Lily told her body to move, but it didn’t listen. She watched James, managing only to cross her arms over her stomach. “I have to text Remus that I won’t be at work.”

“I can do that for you,” he told her, standing and slinging her bag across his shoulder. He reached out, tucking some hair behind her ear. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

She nodded, grateful that she didn’t have to ask. Her eyes burned, but she forced them to stay open. She was not going to cry about Severus Snape.

“It’s not your fault, you know. All those things he said,” James elaborated. “Snape - I know he was your friend once upon a time, and what you did just now… it was very brave of you. It took a lot of courage.”

Slowly, her arms started to obey the instructions from her brain. She swept up and folded the blanket, holding it against her when she was done. 

“Maybe I’ll feel like that later,” Lily allowed. “Right now I want to go home and put on pajamas and…” She raised her eyes to his. “And sit on the couch with you. If that’s okay.” 

“More than okay. Come on, Evans. Let’s get you home.”


	15. Ripped Jeans, Skin Was Showing

James wasn’t sure how he should broach the topic of Severus Snape with Lily. 

Truthfully, James himself wasn’t the one who was supposed to know what a toxic ex-friend the other boy had been. She hadn’t told him. Prongs knew that, not James. Not that the bet mattered at all in these circumstances, but she also hadn’t really told Prongs that many details about their falling out either. 

He was worried that if she had a hard time talking to Prongs about it, the person who was easiest to tell secrets to because of the medium in which they shared their friendship, she would be even less willing to share that part of her life with James. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what to do in a situation like this. Their relationship was still so new. He wasn’t sure which topics were off limits. 

No matter what it was he should do, James had a hard time doing nothing. 

“I’m going to get you some ice cream,” James told her, standing from the couch. 

Ice cream, he knew, would likely be a good start. It couldn’t make things worse at least. Everyone wanted ice cream when they were heartbroken, right? 

He walked into the small kitchen to find Mary already standing there, her arms crossed and leaning against the counter. 

“Snape found her again, didn’t he?” she asked. 

James liked Mary for her bluntness. There was no beating around the bush for her. 

“He did,” he confirmed. He leaned against the fridge, tucking his hands in his pockets. “You’ve dealt with this before, right? Him messing with her head. Or trying to, at least.”

“Basically all freshman year,” Mary answered. “Things were tense then, but they had their big blow up last year. After that, I got her to block his number and ignore all his communication attempts. He’s always trying to get her to talk to him again.”

“I’m not sure how to help her through this.” 

He frowned at having to admit this. 

“Snape’s a special case,” Mary acknowledged. “He’s able to hit her exactly where it hurts. It makes me want to -” She shook her head, probably stopping herself from saying too much. “Well, you saw.” 

“I’m not sure if we’re there yet, so to speak. I don’t want to push her.” James made a face. “But I also don’t like seeing her this way.” 

His eyes flickered to the wall where he knew Lily was still sitting on the other side, bundled up on the couch in a fuzzy blanket. She said she needed time when they first arrived at her place. When they first walked in, she said that watching something where she wouldn’t have to think would help. 

He instantly turned on _Parks and Rec_ , but her eyes remained blank as she stared at the screen. 

“Listen to me, Potter,” Mary said, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. “Lily likes you. That’s something special. She doesn’t have crushes very often. It takes her a little while to know someone before she decides to let them be close. But she likes you. Every side of you.” 

Was he reading too much into her emphasis on this point? 

Probably not. 

People usually had to spell things out for him.

“I’ve never heard her talk about another person the way she talks about you,” Mary continued. “She stayed at your place last night and asked _you_ to be with her now. I think your relationship is there.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, feeling a bit more confident. His lips twitched when Mary cocked an eyebrow at him. “I mean, _of course_ you’re right. I should never doubt you.”

“You learn quickly. I’ll give you that.” 

“My Bio grade would argue with you.”

"That's why you have Lily." Mary laughed, leaning back on the counter again. “You don’t need to know exactly what to say. She’s going to get through this. She just needs someone to be there for her, and you’re going to do that.” Her eyes slid past him to the freezer and back. “With chocolate ice cream, if you’re taking my best friend advice on the matter.”

“Chocolate,” he repeated, opening the freezer and finding a giant tub waiting for him. “Got it. Thanks, Mary. I’ll do my best.”

"Take care of our girl." 

Mary left the kitchen while James looked for spoons, stopping by the couch long enough to murmur something to Lily and hug her shoulders. 

"I'll be in my room," Mary announced as James came into the living room. With a small wave, she went back into the hallway and closed her door softly.

“I brought the ice cream,” James said, sitting next to Lily and producing two spoons. “Hope you don’t mind sharing.”

"Thanks." Lily took her spoon and dug out a crater from the tub. "I'm sorry this isn't as much fun as last night at your place."

“Don’t apologize. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I’m sorry that Snape got to you the way he did.”

Lily took a large bite instead of answering right away. "I don't know why I let him do this to me. We were having a good day. Until, well, you know."

“Do you want to talk about it?”

"You saw most of it. We were friends, he said some awful stuff, and now we're not." Lily took another spoonful of ice cream. "I wish I could… let it go. I don't want to think about him." 

“It’s hard to let stuff like that go,” James remarked. “He was a big part of your life, I’m assuming. If he wasn’t, it wouldn’t hurt so bad.”

"Did it sound like he meant it this time? That he would stay away? All this going back and forth and worrying that he'll come around is…" She sighed. "Exhausting."

James sighed, taking a bite of ice cream before he responded. “The thing is, with people like him, you never know. He tells you either what he thinks you want to hear or what will hurt you the most. At that moment, I think telling you that he wouldn’t come around was accomplishing both of those things. Even the way he said it was as if _you_ were the one making him do it. You were the reason for your own pain."

Lily nodded with her spoon in her mouth, expression serious but not as sad. "He's always been good at that."

"Which absolutely isn’t true, you know. I don’t know exactly what happened between you two, but I know enough about you to know that whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault.”

"It's all…" Lily shook her head again and helped herself to more ice cream. "I know that. Sort of. I know not talking to him is the best thing for me. I _know_ that." 

James smiled, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just because you know that it’s the best thing doesn’t mean it’s not also a hard thing.”

Lily looked down. "Thanks. For saying that and… everything else. I'm glad you're here."

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s what boyfriends are for.”

She tilted her chin up, finally willing to meet his eyes. The corner of her mouth turned up in the beginning of a smile that he recognized. She twirled the spoon between her fingers. "Would it be totally inappropriate if I kissed you right now?"

He grinned. “You can kiss me anytime you like. Especially if you’ve been eating chocolate ice cream.”

"Good, because you have some right…" She moved forward and pressed a kiss to his top lip. "Here." 

“Cheek, Evans,” he said, his lips already pressed against hers when he laughed. 

\-- 

_**Lily Evans** is in a relationship with **James Potter**._

_**Petunia: [screenshot]** _

**_Petunia: What is this??_ **

**_Petunia: WHO is this??_ **

_Me: my facebook profile??_

_Me: my boyfriend???_

_**Petunia: Why am I finding out through Facebook that you have a boyfriend?** _

_Me: okay Petunia how is this_

_Me: I have a boyfriend. His name is James and I like him a lot._

_Me: [photo]_

_Me: here we are_

_**Petunia: Does he style his hair to look like that?** _

**_Petunia: How long has this been going on?_ **

**_Petunia: Do mom and dad know?_ **

_Me: I might have mentioned him on my last call home_

_Me: it's not like he's a secret_

_**Petunia: Well I certainly didn’t know about him** _

**_Petunia: I’d like to meet him_ **

**_Petunia: We could do a double dinner date one day this week?_ **

_Me: you want to go on a double date?_

_Me: me and james and you and dursley??_

_**Petunia: Yes??** _

**_Petunia: I’m your sister_ **

**_Petunia: I should meet him_ **

**_Petunia: See what he’s like_ **

**_Petunia: If he’s good enough for you_**

_Me: okay???_

_Me: give me a second_

\--

_Lily: how would you feel about having another date night this week?_

**James: I’m always down for another date**

**__** _Lily: what about another double date?_

_Lily: with my sister and her fiance?_

_Lily: hypothetically_

**James: ...your sister**

**__** _Lily: how would you feel about that?_

**James: how do YOU feel about that?**

**__** _Lily: I don’t even know_

_Lily: she saw our updated relationship status and now she wants a double date_

_Lily: why???_

**James: Maybe she wants to make sure I’m not some kind of jerk**

**James: Which is funny on her end lol**

**__** _Lily: she said she wants to make sure you're "good enough" for me_

**James: Omg**

**James: Did you tell her I’m not**

**James: Bc you’re definitely too good for me**

_Lily: of course I didn't tell her that_

_Lily: what are you talking about?_

_Lily: you are definitely good enough for me_

**James: Okay Jan**

**James: Think what you want**

**James: Everyone knows the truth**

**James: But I’m okay going on a double date with them if you are**

**__** _Me: are you sure?_

_Me: I can say you have homework_

_Me: or surgery_

_Me: or rabies_

**James: Sirius bit me and now I have rabies**

**James: More reason to take me to dinner with your sister ;)**

_Me: I'll tell her_

_Me: remember that you said you really, really like me!!_

\-- 

_Me: how is wednesday?_

_**Petunia: Wednesday will do** _

**_Petunia: Can he afford the place where we had my birthday dinner last year?_ **

**_Petunia: I know it’s a bit pricey_ **

**__** _Me: that sounds great_

_Me: should I make a reservation?_

_**Petunia: No need** _

**_Petunia: I’ll get Vernon to do it_ **

**_Petunia: He knows the manager_ **

**__** _Me: of course he does_

_Me: we can be there at 6_

_**Petunia: Sounds perfect** _

**_Petunia: See you then_ **

\--

_Lily: she already made a dig about whether you can "afford" the place_

**James: Omg did she really??**

**__** _Lily: should we rev your sports car's engine in the parking lot?_

_Lily: or is that petty?_

**James: Let’s order the most expensive thing on the menu**

**__** _Lily: I can’t stand her sometimes_

**James: Don't tell her about my family yet**

**James: I want to see her face when you do**

**__** _Lily: I didn't say anything_

_Lily: her fiance got a promotion, so I'm sure he's going to brag about it_

**James: Tell me about her fiancé**

**James: What’s he like?**

**__** _Lily: a jerk_

_Lily: not nearly good enough for her_

_Lily: but she is absolutely ridiculous about him_

**James: I’m so excited about this dinner**

**__** _Lily: idk if excited is the right word_

**James: Maybe curious is more of the right word**

**James: I want to meet your sister**

**__** _Lily: she wants to meet you too apparently_

**James: What if they meet me and think I’m a jerk?**

**__** _Lily: if Dursley doesn't like you then you're probably doing something right_

**James: HA**

**James: So give me the rundown**

**James: Things I should know**

**James: Things I should avoid**

**__** _Lily: don't let him talk down to you_

_Lily: but if you come on too strong, he'll probably make a big deal out of it_

_Lily: tbh I haven't really figured out the way to talk to him_

**James: Gotcha**

**James: What level of doting boyfriend should I be**

**James: I don’t know if I’m trying to impress or annoy them**

**__** _Lily: impress them so much that you annoy them_

**James: The ultimate petty**

**James: Do you think she’ll report back to your parents about the evening?**

**__** _Lily: if she comes up with something bad to say_

_Lily: but I'll make sure they get both sides_

**James: I haven’t met them yet**

_Lily: do you want to do a video call with them?_

_Lily: no pressure_

_Lily: only if you want_

**James: We can do that**

**James: I also don’t mind driving you to see them one weekend**

**James: Just a thought**

**__** _Lily: do you really want to be stuck with that many Evanses in one room?_

**James: A room full of Evanses sounds like a dream**

**__** _Lily: what kind of dream? :P_

**James: I think you’re doubting just how much I honestly want to meet your family**

**James: ...also my mom may or may not be plotting a way to get us over for dinner one night**

**James: Dunno how you feel about that**

_Lily: Sirius told me about your mum_

_Lily: she sounds great_

_Lily: and she liked that photo of us on the quad (:_

**James: Mom is great**

**James: A bit much but great**

_Lily: sounds like her son_

**James: My dad will LOVE you**

**__** _Lily: you think so?_

_Lily: what's your dad like?_

**James: He’s a bit eccentric but cool**

**James: He’s really into tinkering with old radios**

**James: and he’s bad about snatching food off your plate and claiming it’s “dad tax”**

**__** _Lily: Petunia hates when my dad does that_

_Lily: but I think your dad and my dad would get along_

_Lily: we have so much old weird stuff around the house that he said he would fix_

**James: Dads are so funny**

**James: Sirius has a whole series on tiktok of messing with my dad**

**James: You’ll have to get him to show you**

**__** _Me: I'd love to meet them_

_Me: if you want me to, I mean_

**James: Of course I want you to meet them**

**James: I called home about you as soon as we started dating**

**James: If mom doesn’t come to campus herself to track you down I’ll be surprised**

**__** _Lily: tell her I can't wait to meet her_

_Lily: we should go and see them_

**James: I’ll let them know**

_Lily: also_

_Lily: if you wanted to come over rn to watch parks and rec with me, Mary, and Benjy..._

_Lily: I wouldn't complain_

_Lily: they're cuddling on the couch and I'm all by myself on the chair ):_

**James: Can’t have that, can we?**

**James: Be there in 10**

_Lily: see you soon <3_


	16. Where You Think You're Going

"Remember," Mary said, nudging Lily over a few inches so they could share the bathroom mirror, "text me 911 if you need me to call and fake appendicitis."

Lily paused with her mascara wand by her eye. "You told me you had your appendix out in middle school."

"Petunia doesn't know that!" Mary answered, fluffing the back of her hair. "I'll fake my emergency, and then you and James can come back here."

"And tell you all about it?"

"Obviously."

"You won't get too distracted with Benjy?" Lily lifted her eyebrow in the mirror.

"I set a special notification sound for you, and he knows about it. I'm not a rookie, Evans."

Lily grinned. She tried to apply her mascara again and was reminded that _this_ was why she didn't wear the stuff. She couldn't stop blinking.

"Here," Mary said, taking the tube from her. "Sit down.” She gestured to the closed toilet lid. “Open your mouth. It slows your blink reflex."

She did as Mary said, let her apply a thick coat, and popped back up to find her green eyes framed by dark lashes. "Thanks, Mare. How do I look?"

Mary crossed her arms and stood back, her eyes going from Lily's head to feet while she spun once. "It's good. Understated enough for Petunia, but…" She nodded to the neckline, which was, admittedly, lower than most of her clothes, though it was softened by the cardigan over her dress. "Not too frumpy for James. You look great, Lils."

"I hope so," she said, peering into the mirror again. "Why am I going on a date where I'm most worried about my _sister?_ "

"Because you know James would happily take you on a date in an old t-shirt and joggers."

"He would not -"

"Say no to an Insomnia Cookie run at midnight followed by snuggling under the stars?"

"You know, that's actually an amazing date idea."

Mary bowed her head, her smirk saying it all.

A knock came from the front door, barely audible from the open door of the bathroom. 

"Coming!"

"Remember," Mary repeated, gathering their make up into a plastic bin. "Text 911 if you need to get out."

"It's going to be fine," Lily said, trying to speak it into reality. "It's going to be fine," she repeated as she opened the door.

Her heart beat quickly for an entirely new and more pleasant reason when she saw James on the other side.

Jameswas definitely fine.

Visually, anyway. She would have to check how he was feeling about the whole situation.

"Hi," Lily said, reaching out to pull him inside by the hand. "I'm almost ready to go. Are you sure you don't have something else we should be doing? Somewhere else we should go?"

“I mean,” James said, his eyes sliding over her. He smirked. “I can think of a few things…” 

"Don't joke, Potter, or I'll take you up on that." 

“I’m only half joking. You look lovely. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this dress before.”

"I'd love to stay here with you instead." She moved onto her toes to kiss him briefly. “But I told Mary she could have the apartment for the next few hours. We can come back to my room afterward. If we survive this."

“You’re thinking it’s going to be that bad, huh?” He ruffled his hair. She wondered if he was half as nervous as she was. “I’m excited to meet your sister. To see what she’s actually like. I’ve only heard -”

"Lily's glowing reviews of her?" Mary said, walking out of the bathroom. 

"She sounded almost normal in her texts," Lily said, worriedly pressing her hands together. "Sort of. Maybe she'll be okay?"

"And if not," Mary said, bending over as if in pain, "I'm starting to feel a little pain right here…"

"It's the other side," Lily said, causing Mary to quickly clutch her stomach. 

She laughed, despite her nerves.

“Girls have a whole system worked out in the event of a bad date, don’t they?” James remarked, looking amused. “You didn’t have to use that on our first date, thankfully.” 

"Date 911 can be invoked at any time," Mary remarked, standing up like nothing had happened and managing to wink without looking silly. "You should both go. Tuney will have a field day if you're late."

"Right." Lily grabbed her purse and took James' hand. "Before I change my mind."

“You kids have fun!” Mary called to them as James opened the door for Lily. “As much fun as you can have with Petunia, anyway.” 

“Do you really think it’s going to be that bad?” James asked once they were outside. 

"I can hope it won't be," Lily answered. "My sister is… Well, she's Petunia. But this is the first time she's asked to meet anyone specifically. Maybe that's a good sign."

“Petunia is older than you, right? Were you guys always like this?”

"She's two years older," Lily said. "When we were little kids, things were better. Then I got accepted to this STEM magnet school. Everything got tense after that. We fought because we were still kids and sisters and that's what you do. But since then…" Lily shrugged and took a seat in his car.

“I get that. I mean, I sort of do. I only have Sirius to go by, and I’m not so sure he counts, as far as siblings go.”

"You two are the good kind of siblings. The kind that chose to be siblings because you like each other." Her eyes drifted out the window. "I think Petunia and I have assumed the worst about each other for so long that we sometimes live up to it."

James was silent for a moment as he drove down the road. Lily’s eyes followed the streetlights instead of looking over at him, lost in thoughts of her and Petunia. 

“I don’t see how anyone could find fault in you,” he said after a moment. He reached over, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. “Maybe I’m biased.”

"That's the honeymoon phase talking," Lily said, though she started to smile when she looked at him. "I have faults. So do you. The difference is that I want to know you enough to know what they are. To figure out how they fit with mine."

“Have you figured out any of my faults yet? Would one of them be that I’m devastatingly handsome?”

She laughed, already feeling better than when she had to sit all day with nervous dread about Petunia. "Mostly how modest you are."

“Definitely that too,” he said, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. “Are you ready for this?”

"As I'll ever be. Just promise me something." She schooled her features into a serious expression. "Don't break up with me to run away with my sister." A smile cracked through when she squeezed his hand.

“Evans, I would never,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze back. “Her fiancé, however…”

"I promise that I'll never even think about running away with Vernon Dursley."

They walked hand in hand toward the door, a small crowd already forming outside.

“Do you think they’re already here?” James asked. “I wonder if there’s a wait time.”

"I didn't make the reservation. She said she'd take care of it because Vernon knows the manager." She eyed the crowd. "Hopefully it's for good reasons."

When they got inside, Lily clung to James’ hand as he weaved them to the hostess, the crowd on the inside being crammed together. Several families sat tightly on small waiting booths, a little girl dropping her toy doll in her impatience. 

“Here you go,” James said, picking it up and handing it to her. 

Lily’s lips quirked at the girl’s blush. 

She peered over a few heads and caught sight of Petunia standing by the hostess stand with her arms crossed. "She's here," Lily said, tugging on his hand.

“Excellent,” James said right into her ear. “She looks thrilled to see us.”

"Best part of her week," she answered, still looking at Petunia. "Do we have a codeword if we need to get out?"

“Bingley?” he offered. 

"Yes, perfect."

Lily stopped in front of her sister, offering a smile. "Hi, Tuney. Is our table ready?"

“Of course, it is. I told you it would be,” Petunia quipped. She turned toward James, looking him up and down. Lily didn’t miss the way her cheeks colored. “You must be James.” 

“That’s me,” he said kindly. He extended his hand. Lily was surprised to see Petunia only eye it for a second before shaking it. “It’s nice to meet you, Petunia. Lily’s told me loads about you.”

Petunia blinked. “Has she now?”

"We're both excited to see you," Lily said quietly. "Where's Vernon?"

“Oh yes,” Petunia said, gesturing for them to follow her. “Vernon got the _best_ table. Like I said, he knows Michael, the manager. We were so lucky he could fit us at the last minute.” 

“Sounds like it,” James said. Lily wasn’t sure if Petunia could hear the amusement in his voice, but she caught it. She squeezed his hand to let him know.

"Thanks for doing that," Lily said, trying to make an effort to start things on a good note. "It's nice to have something other than the dining hall or take out sometimes." 

“Ugh, I’m sure. You have to be careful, Lily, or you’ll gain more than the fifteen pounds that goes along with starting college.”

"I've been okay the last couple of years," Lily replied, pulling her cardigan around her middle self consciously.

“You look great,” James said, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. Lily could tell by his tone that he didn’t find Petunia’s dig amusing.

"Is that Vernon?" Lily asked, directing attention away from her.

Rather than answering, Petunia bent down to give Vernon a kiss. Lily felt her nose start to curl and tried desperately to tame the reaction. 

“Vernon, this is James,” Petunia said. “Lily’s boyfriend.” 

Vernon stood, the table shifting with him, and reached out to grasp James’ hand. “Ah yes,” he said. “The one Lily’s been keeping a secret.”

"Not a secret," Lily said, sitting in one of the empty chairs. "We just got around to updating it on Facebook."

"Is that how it is, James?" Vernon asked, smirk turning into what was likely his attempt at masculine camaraderie. 

“Lily’s not very good at keeping secrets,” James said, winking at her and taking a seat. 

Vernon made a sound Lily couldn't quite decipher. 

She picked up her menu and made a show of studying it, although she could barely concentrate enough to understand anything she read. 

“So, James,” Petunia said. Her boyfriend’s name sounded odd coming from Petunia. “How did you and Lily meet? I literally know nothing about you.”

_Which time?_ Lily thought to herself, looking from her sister to her boyfriend.

If Petunia knew the full story, she’d probably have a heart attack. 

“We have Bio together,” James answered. “Awful subject. Thankfully, she’s brilliant at it.”

"He's not as bad as he says," Lily added. "He was just a little distracted in class. He asked for notes, and… Here we are."

Lily remembered how flustered Prongs was by Val's suggestion that he talk to the girl in his class. While she now knew that girl had to be her, she hadn't fully thought about all the ways Prongs talked about her. 

He thought about _her_ like that. 

They were dating and spent as much time together as they could, so it shouldn't have been surprising to know he thought of her like that. Still, she felt a strong wave of affection for the boy sitting next to her.

Lily intentionally focused on Petunia again.

She had met Vernon at a charity gala and hadn’t shut up about it since then. The story would probably be told at their wedding, boring everyone in attendance for the thousandth time.

“I was never too into school myself,” Petunia said. “I’ve always been more interested in other things.” 

The waiter stopped by their table, effectively preventing Lily from saying something she might regret later. She ordered water, but when Vernon made a face of superiority (did he think James couldn't buy her anything else?), she added a glass of white wine.

She'd pay him back later.

“I’ll have a glass of red wine,” James said easily. “And the prime rib.” 

Lily blinked. Maybe he hadn’t been kidding about ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. She wasn’t sure if it was his love of steak or if he had caught the look Vernon gave. She didn't even like steak and was tempted to order the same plate, just to see Dursley's eyes pop. 

Instead, she ordered a pasta dish and passed her menu to the waiter.

"So," Lily started, daring herself to have the same level of nerve as Petunia. “What else did you want to know?"

“Oh, Lily,” Petunia chided. “You don’t have to take that tone with me. Is it so bad that I want to get to know your boyfriend? I mean, your track record with men hasn’t been all that great.” She turned to James. “Nothing against you, of course. It’s more of this one boy, if I’m being honest. Snape. We grew up with him.” 

James frowned. “Lily never dated Sniv - Snape, though. Right? So, it’s a bit different.”

"I never dated Severus," Lily answered, gaze hardening at Petunia. "And we aren't friends anymore. We don't even really talk. He has nothing to do with James."

“Oh, well, good. The way he always hung around you... It wasn’t natural.” Turning to Vernon, she added, “The boy was _obsessed_ with her. Like she was a possession. His favorite toy or something, and she couldn’t see it.”

“Sounds like you had the right sort of judgement about him, darling,” Vernon said. “Thank goodness for that.”

"Yes," Lily agreed, a little reluctantly. "You wanted to know about James, though?" 

She knew objectively that she was being defensive, but Petunia always made her feel like she had to be. Like she had to be prepared for anything. 

“Of course. I wanted to make sure your judgement was a bit more sound with this one,” Petunia said, offering a quick smile to James.

“With all due respect, I really don’t see why Lily’s judgment on a person's character needs to be brought into consideration,” James said. “I mean, she made the choice to end her friendship with Snape when it became harmful. I think that speaks volumes.” 

“Oh,” Petunia said, swatting away James' comment like a fly. “It’s more of a sister thing.” 

“We probably wouldn’t understand,” Vernon added. “Women, you know?”

James blinked. “I don’t?”

"It's fine," Lily said, fidgeting with the edge of her cloth napkin. "I don't want to talk about him. I want to talk about us or James or whatever you want to know."

She could tell James wanted to say more by the way he was shifting in his chair. She reached under the table to grab his hand to steady him. She had learned long ago that she would have to pick her battles with Petunia. This was not a fight she wanted to have right now. 

“Well, let’s start with the basics,” Petunia said, offering her some sort of grace by switching subjects. “What’s your family like, James?”

“My dad’s a professor. My mom's a doctor. They’re both really great. Had me a bit late in life, so I’m an only child.”

“I don’t know if that makes you lucky or not,” Petunia said, laughing. “Not having a sibling to compete with constantly. What do you think, Lily?”

It was telling that Petunia's first comment about having a sibling was competition. She didn't see being a sister as anything other than a game that she could win. Lily knew this about her, but it was different to hear her say it so clearly.

James and Sirius didn't see it that way. They thought being brothers meant being closer than anyone else.

Lily couldn't imagine saying that about Petunia.

"James is very close to his friends," she said. "He doesn't have siblings, but he has them. I think it's good to have people you can trust like that."

“It is,” James agreed. “I’m really lucky. I’ll never know exactly what it’s like to have a sibling, but I’ve got the next best thing.”

“Maybe it’s a sister thing,” said Petunia. “They’re either your best friend or your worst enemy. No in between.”

“And I suppose it’s easier to get along with your mates too,” added Vernon with a wink at James. “I have a sister myself. We had plenty of rows growing up.”

“ _Must_ be a sister thing,” Petunia sang again, laughing. It made Lily’s teeth grind. “Lily and I still fight, don’t we, Lils? But it’s always fair.”

“I don’t -”

“I don’t know if I’d call throwing your sister's phone in a glass of water and forcing her to buy a new one fair,” James countered. He took a drink of his own water before winking at Vernon and adding, “Or maybe that’s just me.”

_That_ was unmistakably Prongs.

Lily already knew, but this was the closest he came to admitting it out loud. He was openly saying something only Prongs would know, openly bringing up the thing that brought them together in the first place.

In a way, she had to thank Petunia for all of this. 

Would they have found each other another way? Would James have had the courage to ask Lily to his party if Val hadn't told Prongs to do it? 

As James or Prongs, his priority was showing her how much she mattered to him. When there was an uncomfortable comment, he turned it back on Vernon. He stood up to her sister on her behalf and didn't let Vernon excuse it away.

Lily wanted to kiss him.

"We still fight," Lily answered, having a hard time keeping her eyes off James. "But I don't know that it's always fair. Being a sister isn't just catty fights. There has to be love too."

Petunia’s eyes slid from James to Lily. They landed in narrow slits, her chin resting on her folded hands. “People show love in different ways, Lily. Sometimes fighting _is_ love.” 

“And sometimes people receive love in different ways,” James cut in before Vernon could add one of his own remarks to back up Petunia. “Fighting doesn’t necessarily scream ‘I love you’ to some people. I mean, when Lily stuck your keys in jello, was _love_ your first thought?”

Petunia’s mouth fell open. “You - you _told_ him that?” 

"He gave me the idea," Lily replied quickly, no longer caring that it gave up her side of the game. 

He all but admitted it, didn't he?

But it didn't matter. Not really.

What mattered was James and Lily. What mattered was Prongs and Val. No matter who they were, they were together. They stood up for each other and knew all of their different sides. A squeeze of his hand or reassuring text made her feel like she could take on the world.

“He gave -" Petunia tossed her napkin down on the table with a huff. “Well, this is just brilliant, isn’t it? You two have been plotting against me for months now, apparently. Did you just sit there, giggling together over the sight of my keys in jello?”

"We haven't been plotting," Lily snapped back. "I did one little thing to get back at you. All because you thought it was okay to destroy something of mine and not even bother saying you were sorry."

“Besides,” James added, “your keys being in jello hardly contends with a ruined phone. Your keys still worked. Lily lost everything on her phone.”

Vernon sputtered into his own drink, looking too shocked to form a proper sentence. 

For so long, it had been Petunia versus Lily. When her sister met Vernon, it became the two of them teaming up against her and talking down to her like she was a child. Petunia was always going in for the dig, and Vernon was always offering a snide remark meant to flatten things over. He was always adding to Petunia’s shovel, deepening the bits of Lily that Petunia unearthed. 

For the first time Lily could remember, James evened the battlefield for her. 

"You always tell me that I'm being dramatic because you don't want me to react at all," Lily said. Having James beside her, having someone on her side, gave her the ability to put Petunia's actions into words in a way she never had before this. "A fight isn't fair if you get to do whatever you want and I have to deal with it quietly."

“Life isn’t fair, Lily!” Petunia hissed, leaning across the table at her. “I’m your sister. It’s my job to show you tough love. To toughen you up and build your character. Being sisters means that we don’t have to say we’re sorry all the time.”

"It's your job to be my sister, not a bully," Lily answered, spine straightening. "Tough love has to still be _love_. We don't have to say sorry all the time, but you have to say it _sometime_."

“ _Fine,”_ Petunia spat. “I’m sorry about your phone. Is that what you want to hear?” 

“Petunia, love -” Vernon started, but her sister held her hand up to silence him. 

“I’m so incredibly sorry that you made me mad enough to drop your phone into a glass of water,” she continued. “I’m sorry that you think I’ve been a bully to you all of these years.” 

James snorted. “That was a piss poor excuse for an apology. All you did was say you were sorry for the way Lily perceived things, not for the things you actually did.” 

"I didn't make you do anything," Lily said. "Even if I annoyed you, I didn't make you do that. You're the one who doesn't want to admit that you could have been wrong. I know I’ve been wrong before, but I'm not always the wrong one."

“This is so typical of you. Always the righteous one,” Petunia said, standing. “Come on, Vernon. We’re leaving.” 

Vernon blinked up at her, gesturing towards his empty place setting. “But… our food -” 

“Go talk to Michael and get it to go. I’m not going to sit here and be treated like this!” 

"Just say you're sorry," Lily said, forcing herself to stay in her seat, "and mean it. I don't want to be mad at you. I don't _want_ us to be like this. But I… I have to know if you even want to try."

“I’ve already said I’m sorry,” Petunia told her, putting her coat on. “If you can’t accept it, that’s on you.” 

"You're only sorry that I reacted. You're only willing to say that _I_ was wrong. That's not a real apology, and I don't have to accept it."

“You’re right. You don’t. Just like I don’t have to stay here and be forced to come up with whatever apology that you see as worthy.”

Petunia stormed off before Lily could get another word in, nearly knocking over a waiter carrying drinks in the process, with Vernon trailing after her. 

"That's Petunia," Lily said, her gaze staying on the empty seat that was her sister's. "Still convinced you want to meet another Evans?"

James ignored this. Turning towards Lily, he asked, “Are you okay?”

"Are you okay?" she echoed, looking at him. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Why I know all these people who do _this_ and make you ask if I'm okay. Your friends are welcoming and wonderful, and I make you deal with _this_."

“Lily, listen to me. What happened here isn’t your fault, like how what happened with Snape wasn’t your fault. You were backed into a corner both times. You were brave enough to fight your way out.”

"I shouldn't have said anything." Lily put her hand on her forehead. "You wanted to meet her. She asked about you. But then she brought up Severus and… Was I too defensive? Did I really say anything that horrible?"

“No,” James said quickly. “You didn’t say anything horrible at all. Petunia dressed her words up nicely, but they were still made to cut you.” He paused for a moment, rubbing her back. “Do you want to get out of here? Maybe take a walk and get some air?”

"Yes," she said, grateful for any kind of action that took her mind off Petunia. "We can get our food to go. I have some cash in my wallet to tip the waiter. We didn't even make it to…" 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered,” James said, already pulling out his wallet. 

Lily turned, realizing that it was likely that Petunia and Vernon stormed out without even paying for their food. If James covered the whole bill, it would be expensive. 

“Don’t give me that look, Evans. Let me take care of it. This is half my fault, anyway. I couldn’t sit there quietly with them talking to you like that.”

“Then I should get half of it,” Lily answered, conceding that much. She grabbed her purse. “I can’t take your McDonald’s money for the week because my sister is…” She didn’t try to find a word. “Finish your wine, at least, if we’re paying for everything.”

He winked at her before downing the rest of his wine quickly. “Done,” he said, putting the empty glass down on the table. “Let’s get out of here. A night like this calls for ice cream, don’t you think? And there’s an ice cream parlor next door, I do believe.”

\--

James wasn’t sure how he should feel about dinner. 

On one hand, he knew he felt guilty that he possibly started the argument in the first place. He knew there was a rift already growing between Lily and her sister, and he wasn’t sure how much he added to it. 

On the other hand, he couldn’t sit around while Petunia and _Vermin_ spoke down to his girlfriend. He could tell that Lily was used to being double teamed by them. He couldn’t keep his mouth in check while watching her take hit after hit. 

While it was it true that he didn’t have a sibling, he still knew that Petunia was a poor excuse for one. She deserved far worse than her keys in jello, in his opinion. 

But as much of a pitiful sister as Petunia was, James could tell Lily was upset that the night hadn’t gone better. He was partly to blame, he knew. 

The night was still young, and they settled for taking a walk. The atmosphere would have been lovely, if there wasn’t such a heavy weight on them from dinner. He hoped the large ice cream cone he bought her would be able to make up for the night in some way. 

“How was it?” James asked her. 

“It was ice cream, so it was excellent,” Lily answered, turning to him enough to offer a small smile. She crumbled her napkin in one hand and tossed it in a trash can as they passed. “The peanut butter was really -” Her eyes moved down to his hand and the remainder of his cone. “Careful. You’re melting.”

“Oh,” he said, wrapping the rest in a napkin and tossing it before he could make a mess. Truth be told, he was too caught up in his thoughts to pay attention to his ice cream. 

Not just about the fight, though that did leave him feeling awful. 

There was the other elephant in the room concerning Prongs and Val. He outed himself at dinner, unable to help it and unconcerned with the bet or the consequences to follow. Now that they were out in the open, the weight of what he had done was heavy. 

Was she mad at him for how he had revealed himself? Even though he knew that she was aware that it was him, was she mad that he had kept his identity a secret for all of their relationship? 

All for a silly game. 

“How are you feeling about everything?” Lily asked. “I know it hasn’t been our best date night.”

“I’m fine, honestly. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m…” She paused, really thinking about her answer before deciding. “I’m fine. I’ve dealt with Petunia before. This is your first time. That was… a lot.”

“You shouldn’t _have_ to deal with that. Honestly, it’s no wonder you were so mad that night you first texted me.”

James froze, realizing his slip up too late. It was easy to cover his mistake with a cheeky wink and a drink of wine in the restaurant. Out here in the open, there was nowhere to hide. 

Lily stopped beside him. 

Her hand found his sleeve and tugged, pulling them both out of the center of the sidewalk. She managed to find a space for them by the side of one of the little storefronts. They stood near the wall with his back to it, probably looking like a passionate couple to everyone passing by them.

“I know you’ve been helping me since then,” she said, voice quiet. “I know this turned into something else, but I…” She looked up at him with wide eyes, her hand still holding the fabric of his sleeve. “Thank you.”

He blinked at her, feeling completely at a loss for words. “For what?” he managed to choke out. What she could possibly have to thank him for after tonight, he didn’t know. 

“For being on my side,” Lily answered. “For talking me into getting her back and answering my texts in the middle of the night. For taking my advice and asking me to that party. For _everything_ , James.” Her expression was serious as her face moved closer to his. “Thank you for being Prongs.”

He laughed, unable to do anything else at that moment. 

“You found me,” he said, reaching to cup her face.

“That’s what you got from that?” she asked, voice near a whisper but heavy with amusement.

“I’m - I was starting to think it would never happen,” he said, shaking his head. “That we would never get to this point. That we would never get each other to crack. Who knew we needed Petuniato get everything out in the open?”

“She’s good at making people say things they didn’t want to say,” Lily said, rising onto her toes to get closer to him. “You can count this as me losing. I said your name first.”

“I think we already established that I won,” he said cheekily, booping her on the nose. “I mean, you texting me on our first date, freaking out about me? Sort of a dead giveaway there, Val.”

“Oh my God,” Lily said, ducking her head so her hair covered her cheeks. James was sure, knowing her, they were turning bright pink. “That’s so embarrassing. How did you keep a straight face when I came back to the table? We went out after that, and you didn’t say _anything_.”

“I don’t know. How’d you manage to keep a straight face after not only finding out I was Prongs, but also managing to get my friends in on it too?”

“You knew about that?” Lily asked, raising her chin.

“To be honest, I only found out because I picked up your phone by accident the morning after you slept over at my place. Pettyville,Evans?” 

She put a hand over her face. “Well, I don’t think I kept a straight face at all, for the record. You just weren’t there to see it when I figured things out. Remus can tell you that I definitely reacted when I found your copy of _Pride and Prejudice_. Actually, I think I might have scared him a little.”

_“That’s_ how you figured it out?” James nearly shouted. “It’s been bugging me for weeks now! I didn’t even think - Of course,it was the book! I can’t believe I was so careless. Anyway, I sort of gave myself away at dinner. Maybe we both win? Or lose? Depending on how you look at it.”

She laughed, but it ended quickly. “I know you liked Class Girl,” Lily said quietly, lowering her hand enough to peer at him from between her fingers. “Do you think you liked Val too? You read a whole book for her, but...”

“Hey,” he said soothingly, tilting her chin up with two fingers. “Of course,I liked Val. I liked Val so much that I was willing to ditch Peter to watch a movie with her. I liked Val so much that I got jealous that she was on a date... _with me!_ Which I didn’t know at the time, but still. It made me miserable before I figured it out. The point is, Lily, Val, Class Girl… I like all sides of you.”

“I love you,” Lily said, hand falling to her side. “All sides of you.”

It took James several moments to process what Lily said. To be certain that, yes, he heard her correctly. Yes, she loved him. Yes, _all_ of him. Prongs, James, the idiot who was rubbish at Bio. 

_She loved him._

“You love me?”

Just to be sure, because his mother has said that he has selective hearing. He didn’t want now to be one of those times. 

“Yes.” Her gaze was locked on his, but he saw her swallow nervously. “James, Prongs, any side of you. I want to know them all because I love you.”

“But I love _you,”_ he said. 

He knew that was, perhaps, the stupidest way to confess his love for her. To tell her that it couldn’t possibly be true that she loved him, because _he_ loved _her._ He knew that it was possible for them to both love each other, of course. 

He had been so caught up in his feelings for her and how quickly he had gotten to the conclusion that he loved her. He didn’t dare think that she had arrived there as swiftly. He was rash, impulsive, and possibly a bit stupid. It was natural for him to fall in love with her so quickly. 

He didn’t dare hope that she would love him _back_ just as quickly.

But hadn’t their whole relationship started quickly? A voice inside his head reminded him of that. Through texting, they formed a strong bond. Through the faceless platform it provided, they hadn’t put any boundaries on each other. 

They allowed their friendship to grow naturally. Deeply. 

Wouldn’t their love for each other have grown the same way? 

He was Prongs and she was Val. Even when they became James and Lily to each other, that hadn’t changed. It simply gave them a strong foundation. A place to plant what they had already built together as Prongs and Val and allow something new to bloom from it. 

So it _was_ possible then, wasn’t it, that Lily could have fallen in love with him just as quickly as he had with her.

“You do?”

The hope in her voice coupled with her emerging smile was as bright as the sun. Her question made him think fondly that maybe Lily, like him, could sometimes be rash and impulsive and possibly a bit stupid. 

“Of course, I love you,” he practically breathed because it was easy to say. “I love you so much I don’t know what to do with it.”

Then she was kissing him.

_And oh..._

That’s what he was supposed to do with it.

Her smaller frame pressed him against the wall, her hand in his hair and mouth insistent on his. She rose as much as she could to try to match his height. One hand slipped under his jacket and gave him a jolt when her cold fingers touched his skin. 

He was kissing Class Girl.

He was kissing Val.

He was kissing _Lily_.

It was like something clicked for him in that moment. His mind fully registered how it was the first time that they were kissing all sides of each other. 

Prongs was chasing Lily’s mouth, trading opened mouth kisses with her. Val’s fingers were curling against James’ skin from their place underneath his jacket. Prongs’ hands were wound up in Val’s hair. The whimper Lily let escape her lips breathed onto James’ own.

It was intoxicating and almost too much to bear, but he still found himself letting out a noise of protest when she pulled away. 

“I love you,” she said again, her mouth still close to his but not close enough to touch. “But should we go somewhere else? Somewhere that isn’t an alley by Petunia’s favorite pretentious restaurant?”

“Yes, but first I have something to tell you. It’s very important, so I need you to listen.” 

“What is it?” 

“Lily.” 

“James?” 

“Val.” 

Her lips twitched. “Prongs?” 

“I love you too,” he said finally, bending down to place a kiss on her nose. 


	17. Epilogue: Call Me Maybe

_Me: should I get wine for your parents?_

_Me: or is chocolate better?_

_Me: or maybe something else_

**James <3: wine would be fine **

**James <3: chocolate is also great **

**James <3: you need to breathe! **

**James <3: I know you’re over there panicking **

**__** _Me: I'm not panicking_

_Me: I wasn't sleeping so I started doing a wine quiz for your mom_

**James <3: You're so panicking **

**__** _Me: does she like red or white?_

**James <3: She likes red**

**__** _Me: omg you like red so I should have known that_

_Me: you potters and your bitter grape juice_

**James <3: DON’T MAKE FUN OF MY LOVE FOR RED WINE**

**James <3: WHITE WINE IS DISGUSTING **

**__** _Lily: white wine is DELICIOUS_

**James <3: Siriusly you don’t have to get them anything **

**James <3: They’re just excited you’re coming **

**James <3: And that I have a girlfriend **

_Me: your puns have no effect on me btw_

_Me: I can't sleep and have to meet my boyfriend's parents tomorrow!! On Christmas Eve!!!_

**James <3: You know what would have been fun since you can’t sleep?? **

**James <3: You staying the night like I asked you to ;)**

**James <3: But you turned me down :(**

_Me: I wanted to say yes!_

_Me: but your parents might not want to meet me in bed with you_

_Me: I do miss you tho ):_

**James <3: They wouldn’t care! **

**James <3: My dad would probably find it funny honestly **

**__** _Me: can I make it up to you?_

**James <3: Yes **

**James <3: You could call me so I could hear your voice ;)**

**__** _Incoming Call from Lily of the Valley <3_

**“That was fast.”**

_"I was going to ask if I could wait for Santa with you.”_

**“I’ve already got Santa Watch up on my laptop. Why are you whispering, anyway?”**

**__** _“I don’t want my parents to hear.”_

**“Evans! Are you not allowed to talk to your boyfriend past 10pm?”**

_"If my dad wakes up, he'll come in and ask way too many questions."_

**“Ahhh. He’s not still upset about you missing Christmas Eve with your family, is he?”**

**__** _"I don't think so. Dursley invited them to his parents', so he'll probably be texting me under the table the whole time."_

**“I don’t want him to hate me. Then again, _Vermin_ is my competition, so I feel pretty good about my chances of being the favorite son-in-law.”**

**__** _"There's someone else you need to ask, you know, before you become that favorite."_

**“Don’t worry, Evans. I’ve got a five year plan and you’re in it.”**

**__** _"Mary totally roasted me when I walked into our freshman dorm with a five year plan. I want to hear more about yours."_

**“At the end of the five years it says ‘and then they’ll be sorry!’”**

**__** _"So it is the same one I had back then!"_

**“I knew we were meant for each other, Evans.”**

**__** _"I really miss you."_

**“I miss you too. So much that Sirius is making fun of me, but I don’t even care.”**

**__** _"Is Remus there? Or are you both looking out the window, waiting for someone to return from war?"_

**“Remus is not here, actually. So Sirius is just as pathetic as me but not admitting it. When _do_ you want me to pick you up from the war, by the way?”**

**__** _"I want to say as soon as you can. But I should say after ten so you can say hi to my parents."_

**“Will Petunia be there?”**

**__** _"She might leave early. She's one of those people who likes to shop on Christmas Eve so she can complain about everyone else."_

**“God, that sounds awful. Is she still mad at us?”**

**__** _"Not more than she's usually mad at me. Remember, being a sister isn't about being nice or whatever."_

**“Being a sister means you get a free pass to be bitchy.”**

**__** _"Only if you're Petunia. I can't say anything that might upset her. But I'd rather talk about you and when you're coming tomorrow. Or maybe today, at this point."_

**“Is it - it’s midnight! Happy Christmas Eve, Evans.”**

**__** _"Happy Christmas Eve, James."_

**“Our first Christmas Eve together… Shut up, Sirius!”**

**__** _"Sirius is there? Not mooning after his missing boyfriend?"_

**“Oh my god, the pun. I love you. And yeah, he’s here. He has no room to make fun of me when I know he’s snapping Remus.”**

**__** _“You didn’t snap me. Does that mean you’ve done something to your hair since I saw you?”_

**“... _I_ haven’t.”**

**__** _“What does that mean? Can I still run my fingers through it? Is it a different color?”_

**“Sirius and I may have gotten into a prank war and he may have used some of that hair dye that’s like hairspray on me.”**

**__** _“How am I supposed to kiss you properly if your hair is all sticky with bad dye?”_

**“I was planning on wearing a hat until it fades. Especially when I come to pick you up tomorrow. Wouldn’t want your dad to see me with neon pink streaks in my hair.”**

**__** _“Can you wear a Santa hat so we can still get some cute Christmas photos?”_

**“Of course. Tis the season.”**

**__** _“I hope you got him back.”_

**“I’m in the planning stages of getting him back.”**

**__** _“I can help once I get there.”_

**“Yes, please. I’m pretty sure he has Remus reluctantly on his side. Poor guy. He’s always getting pulled into things.”**

**__** _“He told me that when I tried to pull him into messing with you.”_

**“Hopefully our Christmas gift to him will make up for everything we’ve put him through.”**

**__** _“Getting to spend Christmas Eve with me? A McDonald’s gift card?”_

**“A year’s supply of chocolate. Or two months worth, if you’re Remus Lupin.”**

**__** _“So I should give him the box of fancy chocolate I got and go with wine for your mum.”_

**“You can never go wrong with chocolate for Remus. Mum will love the wine.”**

**__** _“I hope she likes me.”_

**“What are you talking about? She’ll love you.”**

**__** _“I really hope she does. I told my parents I might not be back until after Christmas morning, so if it goes well…”_

**“I’ll get to wake up to Lily Evans on Christmas morning?”**

**__** _“If your parents are okay with it. And if you want me to stay.”_

**“Of course I want you to stay! It’s what I asked Santa for. My parents won’t care.”**

**__** _“Then I’ll pack my new pajamas. We did family Christmas stuff today since Petunia’s going to the Dursleys’ house.”_

**“Excellent. My mom normally makes a big breakfast Christmas morning after we open our gifts.”**

**__** _“I can’t wait. Should I let you get some sleep so you can get here sooner?”_

**“I probably ought too. Wouldn’t be too great if I fell asleep on my way to get you in the morning.”**

**__** _"You're not allowed to do that. You have to get here in one piece so I can make sure I can still run my fingers through your hair."_

**“My neon pink hair.”**

**__** _“I’ll deal with it if it’s yours.”_

**“You love me.”**

**__** _“I thought that was obvious.”_

**“Painfully so, according to Sirius.”**

**__** _“Well, he can be right about some things.”_

**“Let’s not tell him. I better be going for real though, Evans. Sleep and all that.”**

**__** _“It’s important. I’ll see you tomorrow.”_

**“Love you, Evans.”**

**__** _“I love you too. Text me when you’re on your way.”_

**“Will do. See you tomorrow.”**

**__** _“... You have to hang up, Potter. You have to drive in the morning.”_

**“But I don’t want to hang up first.”**

**__** _“You have to sleep so you can make a good impression with my dad.”_

**“Fiiiine _._ But only because the odds are already stacked against me with my hair.”**

**__** _“Good night, James. I love you.”_

**“Goodnight, Lily.”**

**__** _Call ended_

**Author's Note:**

> Find us on Tumblr @women-inthe-sequel, @alrightginger, or shared @gingerinthesequel!


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